Toripalimab With Axitinib Active in Treatment-Naive Advanced Mucosal Melanoma

Source: Cancer Therapy Advisor, June 2022

Combination toripalimab and axitinib may have better antitumor activity than either drug alone in patients with treatment-naive unresectable or metastatic mucosal melanoma, according to interim results of a trial presented at the 2022 ASCO Annual Meeting.

The randomized, controlled phase 2 trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03941795) compared efficacy and safety of combination toripalimab (an antibody to programmed death 1) and axitinib (an inhibitor of the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor) against those of monotherapy with each drug individually.

All patients had pathologically confirmed, treatment-naive unresectable or metastatic mucosal melanoma. They were stratified by programmed death ligand 1 status and randomly and evenly assigned to 3 treatment groups: combination therapy (toripalimab 240 mg every 3 weeks plus axitinib 5 mg twice a day); toripalimab monotherapy (toripalimab 240 mg every 3 weeks); and axitinib monotherapy (axitinib 5 mg twice a day). Patients in the monotherapy arms who met certain criteria after disease progression could cross over to receive the combination.

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