Study Results Find Different Mechanisms of Action in 2 Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Regimens

Source: Pharmacy Times, December 2023

The differences between the regimens, anti-PD1/CTLA-4 and anti-PD1/LAG-3, can be used to optimize outcomes for patients with melanoma, particularly in those who develop drug resistance.

New research published in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer reveals differences in the mechanisms of action of 2 FDA-approved immune checkpoint inhibitor combination therapies for advanced melanoma. In patients with advanced melanoma, checkpoint inhibitors that activate the immune system to target cancer cells for destruction have led to more options for patients and improved survival; however, according to the study authors, the anticancer effects of immune checkpoint inhibitor regimens that treat melanoma are still somewhat unknown despite the FDA approvals.

Including drugs that target the proteins programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), multiple types of immune checkpoint inhibitors have been approved to treat advanced melanoma. In addition, results from clinical trials demonstrated that in combination with other immune checkpoint inhibitors that target the proteins CTLA-4 or LAG-3, PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors result in better patient outcomes than when used alone, leading to their approvals to treat advanced melanoma. Further, anti-PD-1/CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1/LAG-3 therapies work in similar ways to stimulate the immune system, but mechanistic differences are likely due to the different cell expression patterns, binding partners, and signaling activity between CTLA-4 and LAG-3.
READ THE ORIGINAL FULL ARTICLE