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Masterful Antibodies: Checkpoint Blockade

Nils Lonberg1, Alan J Korman2

  • 1Bristol-Myers Squibb, Biologics Discovery California, Redwood City, California. nils.lonberg@bms.com.

Cancer Immunology Research
|April 5, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Cancer immunotherapy, which harnesses the immune system to fight cancer, is increasingly vital. Early successes with drugs like ipilimumab and nivolumab highlight challenges and offer lessons for future cancer treatment advancements.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Oncology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Cancer immunotherapy represents a paradigm shift from traditional cancer cell-targeted therapies.
  • The significance of immune system-targeted drugs was underestimated until recently.
  • Early development focused heavily on cytotoxic agents targeting cancer cells directly.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide historical context on the discovery and development of early cancer immunotherapies.
  • To highlight the challenges encountered during the development of ipilimumab and nivolumab.
  • To offer insights for advancing future cancer immunotherapy research and patient treatment.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of early-stage cancer immunotherapy development.
  • Case study approach focusing on ipilimumab and nivolumab.
  • Review of historical challenges in drug discovery and clinical translation.

Main Results:

  • Ipilimumab and nivolumab emerged as pioneering immune system-targeted cancer therapeutics.
  • The development journey revealed significant scientific and clinical hurdles.
  • These early successes paved the way for broader adoption of immunotherapy.

Conclusions:

  • Cancer immunotherapy is now a standard of care for numerous malignancies.
  • Understanding the historical challenges is crucial for optimizing future immunotherapy development.
  • Continued innovation in targeting the immune system promises greater patient benefit.

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