Dr. Coveler on SEA-CD40 Combo in Metastatic Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Andrew Coveler, MD, director, Pancreatic Cancer Specialty Clinic, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, associate professor, Medical Oncology, University of Washington School of Medicine, physician, UW Medicine, and associate professor, Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, discusses the investigational CD40-directed monoclonal antibody SEA-CD40 in combination with gemcitabine, nab-paclitaxel (Abraxane), and pembrolizumab (Keytruda) in patients with metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (mPDAC). 

At the 2020 ASCO Virtual Scientific Program, early data from an ongoing phase 1 clinical trial evaluating the combination in mPDAC were presented.

Historically, checkpoint inhibitors have not demonstrated significant efficacy in pancreatic cancer, says Coveler.

Combining the investigational CD40-directed antibody with standard chemotherapy may stimulate an immune response, says Coveler.

Although efficacy data with the combination remain immature, safety data suggest that the regimen may cause infusion-related toxicities that are separate from chemotherapy-related and pembrolizumab-related toxicities, concludes Coveler.