Dr. Abrams on the Rationale for the COSMIC-021 Trial in MSS/pMMR CRC

Thomas A. Abrams, MD, senior physician, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, assistant professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School, discusses the rationale for the ongoing phase 1/2 COSMIC-021 trial (NCT03170960) in microsatellite stable (MSS) and mismatch repair proficient colorectal cancer (CRC).

The development of combination regimens of checkpoint inhibitors and other agents for patients with MSS CRC has been an ongoing area of research, Abrams says. Although some data have emerged, the field of CRC is behind in terms of determining the full clinical utility of these agents.

Notably, preclinical data suggest that the TKI cabozantinib (Cabometyx) has the potential to induce responses with immunotherapy in patients with MSS CRC, Abrams explains.

As such, the COSMIC-021 trial is evaluating the combination of cabozantinib and atezolizumab (Tecentriq) in patients with advanced solid tumors. During the 2022 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium, the results of the CRC cohort evaluating this doublet will be presented, Abrams concludes.