Dr. Gangadhar on Combination Regimens for Melanoma

Tara C. Mitchell, MD, assistant professor of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, discusses new combination regimens for patients with melanoma.

The combination of the oncolytic immunotherapy talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC) combined with pembrolizumab (Keytruda) was shown to be safe and effective in a small phase I study, Gangadhar explains. It is now accruing patients with advanced melanoma in a randomized phase III study.

IDO inhibition with the oral inhibitor epacadostat in combination with pembrolizumab also showed excellent efficacy in a small early-phase study of melanoma with no evidence of added toxicity, Gangadhar adds.

Combining immunotherapy with a targeted therapy, such as with a PD-L1 blockade with atezolizumab (Tecentriq) with vemurafenib (Zelboraf) and cobimetinib (Cotellic), have preliminary results of safety and efficacy.