Christian U. Blank, MD, PhD

Christian U. Blank, MD, PhD, medical oncologist in the Division of Immunology at the Netherlands Cancer Institute, discusses the most recent data from the phase 1b OpACIN trial (NCT02437279) of ipilimumab (Yervoy) and nivolumab (Opdivo) in patients with macroscopic stage III melanoma.

This was the first trial in the melanoma setting that tested checkpoint inhibition. Blank says that this combination has been looked at in non–small cell lung cancer as neoadjuvant therapy, but OpACIN was the first trial evaluating neoadjuvant treatment in patients with melanoma.

Now the investigators have the 3-year update of the findings. According to Blank, they saw was that patients who relapsed in the neoadjuvant setting that have not gone on to expanded studies made up 2 out of 7 patients. At 3 years, all of the patients who showed a response did not have a relapse. There was pathologic response at week 6. Blank explains that neoadjuvant therapy is a good prognostic indicator for long-term outcome, which is important because the investigators hope the FDA will accept this early outcome model as a long-term outcome; it is important for the patients, so they can have access to these promising treatments earlier.

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Christian U. Blank, MD, PhD, discusses the most recent data from the phase 1b OpACIN trial of ipilimumab and nivolumab in patients with macroscopic stage III melanoma.

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Investigators Present Updated Results of the OpACIN Trial for Melanoma