Dr. Andtbacka Discusses Next Steps With T-VEC in Melanoma

Robert Andtbacka, MD, associate professor in the Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery at the University of Utah School of Medicine, discusses the future of talimogene laherparapvec (T-VEC; Imlygic) in the treatment of patients with melanoma.

T-VEC was approved in 2015 for the local treatment of unresectable cutaneous, subcutaneous, and nodal lesions in patients with melanoma recurrent after initial surgery, based on results from the phase III OPTiM study. In the study, T-VEC showed durable response rates and high overall response rates in patients with unresectable stage IIIb, IIIc, and IVM1a melanoma.

According to findings from the OPTiM study, patients who have stage III melanoma who have received T-VEC have a lower risk of developing lung, liver, and bone metastases. This is encouraging for patients with earlier disease, Andtbacka says, as T-VEC may be able prevent or delay advanced disease. This is being expanded to patients with resectable disease.