Dr. Andrea Apolo on Avelumab in Metastatic Bladder Cancer
Andrea B. Apolo, MD, medical oncologist at the National Cancer Institute, chief of the bladder cancer section of the Genitourinary Malignancies Branch, discusses a phase 1b trial investigating avelumab, an anti-PD-L1 antibody, in patients with refractory, metastatic urothelial carcinomas.
Andrea B. Apolo, MD, medical oncologist at the National Cancer Institute, chief of the bladder cancer section of the Genitourinary Malignancies Branch, discusses a phase lb trial investigating avelumab, an anti-PD-L1 antibody, in patients with refractory metastatic urothelial carcinomas.
The findings of the trial were very exciting, said Apolo. Avelumab was determined to be safe and induce clinical activity, including tumor shrinkage. Of the 44 patients included in the trial, six had partial responses, one had a complete response, and stable disease was observed in an additional 19 patients. It was interesting that responses were even seen in patients with visceral metastases, who tend to have a poor prognosis, said Apolo.
The drug was also shown to be safe, with one case of grade III asthenia, but no grade IV or V adverse events.
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