Dr. Sullivan on the Examination of Tebentafusp in Uveal Melanoma

Ryan J. Sullivan, MD, associate professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, associate professor, Hematology/Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, discusses the examination of tebentafusp-tebn (Kimmtrak) in uveal melanoma.

The phase 3 IMCgp100-202 trial (NCT03070392) examined efficacy of tebentafusp vs investigator’s choice of dacarbazine (Bayer), ipilimumab (Yervoy), or pembrolizumab (Keytruda) in patients with untreated, advanced, uveal melanoma. In January 2022, the FDA approved tebentafusp for the treatment of HLA-A*02:01–positive adult patients with unresectable or metastatic uveal melanoma, based on the findings from the study.

The new treatment option for uveal melanoma is a step forward in a disease that has been difficult to treat and has been associated with poor outcomes, Sullivan explains. As tebentafusp is incorporated into standard practice, it will be important to be selective about which patients continue beyond progression, Sullivan adds.

Conversations with a patient can help inform future treatment plans to see if they can continue to benefit from tebentafusp, Sullivan continues. The discovery of additional variables, such as other biomarkers, could help further identify which patients should continue treatment with tebentafusp, Sullivan concludes.