Dr. Topalian on the PD-1 Immunotherapy BMS-936558

Suzanne Topalian, MD, Professor of Surgery and Oncology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, discusses the possible implications of the preliminary data for the investigatory PD-1 targeted immunotherapy BMS-936558, which was presented at the 2012 ASCO Annual Meeting.

Topalian believes that the early-stage results are big news for immune therapy. The trial found that the agent was active in patients with advanced melanoma, renal cell carcinoma, and non-small cell lung cancer. However, the full spectrum of tumors this agent is effective against is not yet fully known and will require further investigation.

Although preliminary, the trial demonstrated the efficacy of inducing tumor regression through the reeducation of the immune system.