Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare but aggressive form of cancer that arises from the membrane covering the lungs and inner side of the limbs. Chemotherapy with cisplatin and pemetrexed and immune checkpoint inhibitors are emerging as effective treatments for mesothelioma. This study aims to evaluate the effect of durvalumab, an anti-PD-L1 antibody, given along with chemotherapy and pemetrexed in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma.
This multicenter, open-label, single-arm, phase 2 trial included a total of 54 participants aged 18 years or older with histologically confirmed malignant pleural mesothelioma. The patients were assigned to receive cisplatin, pemetrexed, and durvalumab intravenously. The primary outcome of the study was progression-free survival at 6 months.
During a median follow-up of 28.2 months, 31 of 54 patients (57.4%) were alive with progression-free survival at 6 months. Commonly-occurring grade 3 and 4 events were neutropenia, nausea, and anemia. A total of 60 serious adverse events were reported in 29 participants, 5 of which were related to the use of durvalumab. A total of 5 deaths occurred during the treatment, albeit none of them occurred because of the treatment.
The research concluded that adding durvalumab to first-line chemotherapy and pemetrexed showed promising activity and safety profile.
Ref: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045(20)30462-9/fulltext
