Cemiplimab in advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Immunotherapy

Background:

• Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) is a common skin cancer.
• Advanced CSCC poses treatment challenges for patients not eligible for surgery or radiation.
• Cemiplimab is a programmed death-1 (PD-1) inhibitor approved for advanced CSCC.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the efficacy and safety of cemiplimab in advanced CSCC.
• To evaluate cemiplimab's role as a first- or later-line treatment.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review of EMBASE, MEDLINE, PubMed, and clinical trial registries.
• Keywords included "cemiplimab," "Libtayo," "cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma," "REGN2810," and "SER439684."

Main Results:

• Cemiplimab demonstrated rapid and substantial antitumor efficacy in pivotal phase II trials.
• The drug showed acceptable safety with low discontinuation (7%) and death (3%) rates.
• Clinical efficacy and considerable safety were confirmed in the review.

Conclusions:

• Cemiplimab is an effective and safe treatment option for advanced CSCC patients.
• Current recommendations are based on Phase II data, highlighting the need for comparator studies.