Dr. Rischin Discusses Cemiplimab in Cervical Cancer

Danny Rischin, MD, director, Division of Cancer Medicine, head, Department of Medical Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, discusses the use of cemiplimab (Libtayo) in patients with cervical cancer.

In a phase I dose-escalation study, cemiplimab showed promising efficacy in patients with recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer who progressed after frontline platinum-based therapy. These patients, Rischin says, have few options, noting that chemotherapy has not been found to be effective.

Activity was observed in the cervical cancer cohorts. There was 1 partial response in each cohort, and multiple patients had durable control without progression, reports Rischin. Additionally, an acceptable safety profile was observed, and single agent cemiplimab is currently being evaluated in a phase III randomized study versus chemotherapy (NCT03257267).

The PD-1 inhibitor cemiplimab was approved by the FDA in September 2018 for the treatment of patients with metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma or patients with locally advanced disease who are not candidates for curative surgery or curative radiation.