Tremelimumab and Imfinzi Combo Effective for Mesothelioma

The novel immunotherapy drug mixture of tremelimumab and Imfinzi (durvalumab) produced encouraging results in the first phase II mesothelioma clinical trial examining this combination. The study, which included 40 mesothelioma patients in Italy, was published in the June 2018 edition of The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. Similar — or even more promising — results with this combination are expected to follow soon in the United States. “Results from this study are very promising,” investigator Dr. Luana Calabro, Siena University Hospital, told Asbestos.com. “This regimen also has shown a good safety profile. It warrants further investigation in a large population of mesothelioma patients.” More Tremelimumab and Imfinzi Studies Progressing The two-drug combination for pleural mesothelioma is being studied at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Both clinical trials are still recruiting new patients. The trial at Baylor is studying the use of the immunotherapy combination in conjunction with aggressive surgery. The study is hoping to determine whether Imfinzi and tremelimumab, or just Imfinzi alone, is more effective with surgery. The trial at Dana-Farber is designed for pleural mesothelioma patients who are not surgical candidates. “These drugs have proven to be very effective in solid tumors,” said Dr. Bryan Burt, thoracic surgeon and lead investigator at Baylor. “This will allow us to gain a much deeper und...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Source Type: news