Study Shows Efficacy of Neoadjuvant Combo Therapy in Melanoma, Cautions Toxicity

Source: Specialty Pharmacy Times, November 2018

A neoadjuvant therapeutic approach demonstrated a clinical benefit for patients with high-risk melanoma, but toxicity concerns suggest the need for further optimization to reduce adverse effects, according to a new study.

In the phase 2 study, which was published in Nature Medicine, researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center evaluated a combination checkpoint blockade in 23 patients with high-risk stage 3 melanoma.

Patients included in the trial received either the PD-1 inhibitor nivolumab or a combination of nivolumab and the CTLA-4 checkpoint inhibitor ipilimumab before surgery. All patients received nivolumab after surgery.