Dr. Ramalingam on Emerging Combination Regimens in NSCLC

Suresh Ramalingam, MD, professor, Emory School of Medicine, and chief, Medical Oncology, Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University, discusses combinations with immunotherapy and chemotherapy being investigated as potential treatments for patients with non—small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Preclinical and clinical data with combination therapies have demonstrated promise in patients with NSCLC, Ramalingam explains. For example, atezolizumab in combination with chemotherapy is currently being investigated and there is already evidence showing the PD-L1 monoclonal antibody’s potential as a single-agent in NSCLC.

Current studies are looking at the combination of atezolizumab with platinum-based chemotherapy agents in patients with advanced disease. Early findings include high response rates, a high degree of disease control, and potentially durable benefits, Ramalingam adds. A phase III trial is being planned with chemotherapy alone or chemotherapy plus atezolizumab in the frontline setting for these patients.