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Updated: Feb 24, 2026
Identifying PD-1/PD-L1 Inhibitors with Surface Plasmon Resonance Technology
Published on: May 2, 2025
Response to single agent PD-1 inhibitor after progression on previous PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors: a case series
Dylan J Martini1, Aly-Khan A Lalani1, Dominick Bossé1
1Lank Center for Genitourinary Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, 450 Brookline Ave D1230, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
Background:
Monoclonal antibodies targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis have gained increasing attention across many solid tumors and hematologic malignancies due to their efficacy and favorable toxicity profile. With more than 1 agent now FDA-approved in a wide variety of tumor types, and with others in clinical trials, it is becoming more common that patients present to clinic for potential treatment with a second PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor.
Case Presentation:
In this report, we present two patients with renal cell carcinoma and one with melanoma who received PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. Upon progression on their first-line PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors, these patients received a different PD-1 inhibitor (nivolumab in all cases) and all had progressive disease as their best response to the subsequent PD-1 inhibitor. The reported clinical information focuses on the course of the disease and the responses to all treatment regimens.
Conclusions:
Clinicians should refrain from using multiple PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors sequentially outside of clinical trials until there is sufficient data to support this practice routinely. Prospective studies that allow prior treatment with PD-1/PD-L1 are needed to validate the efficacy and safety of these drugs in the second line or later setting. Furthermore, ongoing efforts that aim to identify mechanisms of resistance to immunotherapy will be informative and may ultimately assist physicians in select the optimal treatment following progression on PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor.
Insights
Sequential use of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors is not routinely recommended. Further research is needed to determine efficacy and safety in later treatment lines for cancer patients.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Immunotherapy
- Drug Development
Background:
- Monoclonal antibodies targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis are increasingly used for various cancers.
- Several agents are FDA-approved, with more in clinical trials, leading to more patients considered for sequential treatment.
Observation:
- This report details three patients with renal cell carcinoma and melanoma who received sequential PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors.
- All patients experienced progressive disease after receiving a second PD-1 inhibitor (nivolumab) following initial treatment failure.
Findings:
- Sequential administration of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors did not demonstrate efficacy in the presented cases.
- The best response observed in these patients was progressive disease after the second-line immunotherapy.
Implications:
- Clinicians should avoid sequential PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor use outside clinical trials due to limited supporting data.
- Prospective studies are essential to evaluate the efficacy and safety of sequential immunotherapy regimens.
- Identifying mechanisms of immunotherapy resistance is crucial for optimizing subsequent treatment strategies.
