The combination, he says, may be more effective since one drug works
to suss out tumor cells, like shining a molecular spotlight on them,
while the other builds up the body’s defenses against them, allowing
immune cells to better target and eliminate cancers.
The time that both groups of patients enjoyed before their melanoma
recurred, however, was similar. But Hodi and his team note that the
inflammation caused as a side effect of the drugs could be interpreted
as early tumor sites, leading researchers to record the presence of
tumors that may not be there.
Teasing apart that issue and determining the safe and optimal doses
of the combination will require more studies, says Hodi. The dose of
ipilimumab he used, for example, was higher than the one approved by the
FDA in 2011, since this study was begun before the agency approved the
drug. But the idea that a combination of powerful immune-based drugs
could help cancer patients fight their disease and survive longer is
encouraging. “This world of [new cancer treatments] is moving fast, and
there are a slew of possible combinations that others are studying now,”
he says. “It’s where the future of cancer therapy will be.”
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