What is next for immunotherapy?

We recently had a chance to sit down with a few of the Antibody Engineering and Therapeutics speakers to get an inside look into what they're working on and insights into their work.  We continue our interview series off with Omid Hamid, MD, Chief of Research, Immuno-Oncology at The Angeles Clinic and Research Institute.

As we wrap up our interview series with our Antibody Engineering speakers, Dr. Hamid answers this final question:
What is next for immunotherapy?

Dr. Hamid: The future for immunotherapy in solid tumors is bright. There are many avenues to take. We are looking at bispecific antibodies that are antibodies that bring two things together, like a T cell close to the tumor and then initiating an immune response. We are looking at adoptive T cell therapy where you take the T cells out of the tumor and grow them and then re-infuse them into patients. That is also referred to as “TIL Therapy” as is done at NCI and other major academic centers. We are looking at trying to bring that to community cancer centers and all patients. Again, combinatorial therapies with other immune therapies, including IL-2, anti CTL 4 therapy coming forward. And this will move quickly now that the field of oncology has understood these benefits. 

Now, as we talk about combination, we talk about where the field is going. Let’s not forget that immuno-oncology can be paired with many different modalities. We are looking at the ability to initiate or improve immune response through radiation – so called “Abscopal Effect”. We are looking at the role of chemotherapy within oncology or target therapies, which is something that I haven’t spoken about. But, the first checkpoint inhibitor to be approved was Ipilimumab and it was approved at the same time that BRAF targeted therapy was approved in metastatic melanoma. Today we have multiple trials looking at combinations of BRAF targeted therapy and immunotherapy with PD-1, PDL-1 and anti CTLA 4.

So, what’s next is happening now. I would support patients looking into options with any one of these modalities. What we have seen is that even heavily pre-treated patients and patients with rare tumors may have the possibility of benefiting from these modalities.

Dr. Hamid will be presenting The Promise of PD1 Checkpoint Inhibition for Multiple Solid Tumors on  next Wednesday, December 10 at the Antibody Engineering and Therapeutics event. For more information on his session and the rest of the program, download the agenda. As a reader of this blog, when you register to join us and mention code XD14172BLOGJP, you can save 20% off the standard rate.

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