Breakthrough cancer medicine and its impact on novel drug development in China: report of the US Chinese Anti-Cancer Association (USCACA) and Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO) Joint Session at the 17th CSCO Annual Meeting / 癌症

The US Chinese Anti-Cancer Association (USCACA) teamed up with Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO) to host a joint session at the17th CSCO Annual Meeting on September 20th, 2014 in Xiamen, China. With a focus on breakthrough cancer medicines, the session featured innovative approaches to evaluate breakthrough agents and established a platform to interactively share successful experiences from case studies of 6 novel agents from both the United States and China. The goal of the session is to inspire scientific and practical considerations for clinical trial design and strategy to expedite cancer drug development in China. A panel discussion further provided in-depth advice on advancing both early and full development of novel cancer medicines in China.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors in clinical trials / 癌症

Immunology-based therapy is rapidly developing into an effective treatment option for a surprising range of cancers. We have learned over the last decade that powerful immunologic effector cells may be blocked by inhibitory regulatory pathways controlled by specific molecules often called "immune checkpoints." These checkpoints serve to control or turn off the immune response when it is no longer needed to prevent tissue injury and autoimmunity. Cancer cells have learned or evolved to use these mechanisms to evade immune control and elimination. The development of a new therapeutic class of drugs that inhibit these inhibitory pathways has recently emerged as a potent strategy in oncology. Three sets of agents have emerged in clinical trials exploiting this strategy. These agents are antibody-based therapies targeting cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA4), programmed cell death 1 (PD-1), and programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1). These inhibitors of immune inhibition have demonstrated extensive activity as single agents and in combinations. Clinical responses have been seen in melanoma, renal cell carcinoma, non-small cell lung cancer, and several other tumor types. Despite the autoimmune or inflammatory immune-mediated adverse effects which have been seen, the responses and overall survival benefits exhibited thus far warrant further clinical development.

IGF-1R as an anti-cancer target--trials and tribulations / 癌症

Type I insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-1R) has long been recognized for its role in tumorigenesis and growth, but only recently have the tools for targeting the IGF pathway become available. More than 10 IGF/IGF-1R inhibitors have entered clinical trials, and these belong to three main classes: (1) monoclonal antibodies against IGF-1R, (2) monoclonal antibodies against IGF-1R ligands (IGF-1 and IGF-2), and (3) IGF-1R tyrosine kinase inhibitors. These IGF-1R-targeting agents share common effects on IGF-1R signaling but differ in mechanisms of action, spectrum of target inhibition, and pharmacological features. Clinical activity of IGF-1R inhibitors has been demonstrated with sustained responses in a small number of patients with select tumor types, such as Ewing sarcoma and thymoma. However, many large clinical trials involving patients with adult tumors, including non-small cell lung cancer, breast cancer, and pancreatic cancer, failed to show clinical benefit in the overall patient population. Possible reasons for failure include the complexity of the IGF-1R/insulin receptor system and parallel growth and survival pathways, as well as a lack of patient selection markers. While IGF-1R remains a valid target for selected tumor types, identification of predictive markers and rational combinations will be critical to success in future development.