Dr. Herbst on the Emergence of Immunotherapy in Cancer

The 2013 ASCO Annual Meeting highlighted the emergence of immunotherapy as a treatment in multiple types of cancer, says Roy S. Herbst, MD, PhD, a professor of Medicine at Yale Cancer Center and chief of Medical Oncology at Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven in Connecticut.

Herbst presented data on the antibody MPDL3280A that targets PD-L1. This agent produced a 21% response rate for patients with multiple solid tumors, including non-small cell lung cancer. Additionally, Herbst adds, the safety profile was acceptable, with only a few patients experiencing immune related adverse events.

Immunotherapeutic approaches are very promising in the treatment of NSCLC, Herbst points out. This is further highlighted by trials exploring the agent nivolumab, which targets PD-1. The combination of data from the trials exploring PD-1 and PD-L1 demonstrates the emergence of an effective new avenue in the treatment of patients with lung cancer, Herbst believes.