Dr. Tolcher on Utomilumab Plus Pembrolizumab in Advanced Solid Tumors

Anthony W. Tolcher, MD, director of clinical research at South Texas Accelerated Research Therapeutics San Antonio, discusses a phase Ib study examining the combination of the 4-1BB agonist utomilumab (PF-05082566) and pembrolizumab (Keytruda) as a treatment for patients with advanced solid tumors.

4-1BB is an agonist that is involved in T-cell stimulation, Tolcher explains. The goal of the study was to examine the safety of the combination, as well as understand the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.

Results showed that the combination could be administered safely without any drug-to-drug interaction between the 2 antibodies. Additionally, those who responded tended to have more CD8-positive T cells versus non-responders. There were also 1 complete response in a patient with small cell lung cancer; 2 patients with renal cell cell carcinoma had partial responses, as well as 1 patient with non—small cell lung cancer, 1 patient with head and neck cancer, and 1 patient with anaplastic thyroid cancer.