Dr. Oberstein on PEGPH20 in Patients With Pancreatic Cancer

Paul E. Oberstein, MD, assistant professor of medicine, assistant director, Pancreatic Cancer Center, director, Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology Program, NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center, discusses the use of pegylated hyaluronidase (PEGPH20) in advanced pancreatic cancer.

PEGPH20, is an investigational agent and potential therapy for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer, says Oberstein. The mechanism of that agent breaks down hyaluronan, or hyaluronic acid, in the tumor environment. This potentially opens the tumor up to receive more chemotherapy or maybe even be able to target tumors directly.

A large phase II clinical trial showed some benefit of PEGPH20 in combination with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel (Abraxane). However, another trial showed no benefit of PEGPH20 in combination with an alternative chemotherapy backbone, modified FOLFIRINOX. Oberstein says that physicians need to better understand exactly who and when patients will benefit from the agent. This underscores the need for more clinical trials, observes Oberstein.