Tackling tough cancers: The dual-targeted attack on metastatic colorectal cancer Flowchart of the trial design.

Scientists are making waves with a novel therapy for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) that combines two powerful antibodies—one targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), the other programmed cell death 1 (PD-1). This dual treatment aims to supercharge the immune system, showing early signs of improving survival and response rates. For patients with no other treatment options, this breakthrough offers a glimmer of hope, potentially changing the trajectory of their fight against cancer.

Metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) remains a daunting challenge, especially after first-line treatments fail. Patients with rat sarcoma viral oncogene (RAS)/v-raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B (BRAF) wild-type mCRC face a particularly grim outlook, as third-line therapies offer limited benefits. Survival rates are low, and most options provide little hope for improvement. The combination of anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and anti-programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) therapies has emerged as a promising new strategy to target cancer from multiple angles, sparking excitement in the scientific community. Based on these challenges, further research is needed to explore the full potential of this innovative combination therapy.

In a new study (DOI: 10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2023.0301) published in Cancer Biology & Medicine, researchers from leading Chinese medical institutions, including Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital and Peking Union Medical College Hospital, report on a promising new treatment for patients with advanced mCRC. The study investigates the safety and efficacy of a dual-antibody combination—SCT200 and SCT-I10A—in patients who have already exhausted traditional treatment options.

In this Phase Ib clinical trial, 21 patients with RAS/BRAF wild-type mCRC were treated with the combination of SCT200 and SCT-I10A. The results were striking, with an objective response rate (ORR) of 28.57%, a disease control rate (DCR) of 85.71%, and median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of 4.14 months and 12.84 months, respectively. These results suggest that this combination could provide a survival advantage over existing third-line treatments, which typically offer limited benefits. The treatment was also well-tolerated, with manageable side effects and no significant increase in severe toxicities. These encouraging findings highlight the potential of combining anti-EGFR and anti-PD-1 therapies, warranting further studies to validate the results in larger patient populations.

Dr. Ming Bai, the lead investigator, emphasized the study's importance: "The synergistic effect of SCT200 and SCT-I10A represents a significant breakthrough in treating RAS/BRAF wild-type mCRC. Our data not only demonstrates promising efficacy but also shows that the treatment is well-tolerated, which could pave the way for a new standard of care for patients who have run out of other options."

If these early findings hold true in larger studies, this combination therapy could revolutionize how mCRC is treated, offering new hope to patients with limited options. By targeting cancer from two different angles, this treatment could enhance the immune response, improving survival rates and quality of life. The potential implications are vast, with this therapy possibly becoming a new cornerstone in the global fight against colorectal cancer.

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References

DOI

10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2023.0301

Original Source URL

https://doi.org/10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2023.0301

Funding information

This work was funded by Tianjin Key Medical Discipline (Specialty) Construction Project (Grant No. TJYXZDXK009A), National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 82103677), and National Science and Technology Major Projects of China (Grant No. 2019ZX09732-001).

About Cancer Biology & Medicine

Cancer Biology & Medicine (CBM) is a peer-reviewed open-access journal sponsored by China Anti-cancer Association (CACA) and Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital. The journal monthly provides innovative and significant information on biological basis of cancer, cancer microenvironment, translational cancer research, and all aspects of clinical cancer research. The journal also publishes significant perspectives on indigenous cancer types in China. The journal is indexed in SCOPUS, MEDLINE and SCI (IF 5.6, 5 year IF 5.9), with all full texts freely visible to clinicians and researchers all over the world (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/journals/2000/).