Jena D. French on Anti-PD-1/Lenvatinib Combo in Differentiated Thyroid Cancer

Jena D. French, PhD, instructor of medicine, division of endocrinology, metabolism and diabetes, Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Colorado, discusses the potential for immunotherapy combinations with lenvatinib in differentiated thyroid cancer.

Single-agent anti-PD1 has been successful in a lot of cancers, says French, but it never induces response in an entire population. However, in combination with lenvatinib, it may induce a better response in differentiated thyroid cancer, she says. Lenvatinib also has some ability to effect the immune response in addition to effecting the tumor itself.

Lenvatinib was approved by the FDA as a treatment for patients with progressive, radioactive iodine (RAI)—refractory DTC in February 2015, joining sorafenib (Nexavar), another tyrosine kinase inhibitor, as a first- or second-line treatment option.

The approval was based on findings from the phase III SELECT trial, in which treatment with the multikinase inhibitor reduced the risk of disease progression by 79% (HR, 0.21; 99% CI, 0.14-0.31; P <.0001).

Researchers are working on finding a biomarker that can identify which patients may respond to lenvatinib and an anti-PD1 inhibitor in combination. Clinical trials will be needed to further this research, says French.