Prognostic factors and effect on survival of immune-related adverse events in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer treated with immune checkpoint blockage

Our aim was to describe the incidence and characteristics of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) and to evaluate their impact on outcome. All cases of NSCLC patients treated with ICIs in the second-line setting between December 2015 and May 2018 were evaluated. Seventy patients were included. Mean age was 65.9?years, and the majority of male (n?=?53, 75.7%), with PS of 0-1 (n?=?62, 88.6%) treated with nivolumab (n?=?51; 72.9%). Thirty-one patients (44.3%) experienced an AE, 5 (7.1%) were grades 3–4. Median OS in patients with AE was 30.1?months (95% CI, 16.7–43.5) compared with 5.1?months (95% CI, 1.2–9.0) in cases without AE (log-rank test: p?=?0.010). The adjusted HR for OS was 0.46 (95% CI, 0.25–0.86) for the irAE occurrence and 3.60 (95% CI, 1.56–8.32) for PS 2-3 group. The development of irAEs was associated with improved patient outcome.     

Cost-effectiveness of pembrolizumab in combination with chemotherapy versus chemotherapy and pembrolizumab monotherapy in the first-line treatment of squamous non-small-cell lung cancer in the US

Objective: To describe the cost-effectiveness of pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy (carboplatin and paclitaxel or nab-paclitaxel; P?+?C) in metastatic, squamous, non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients in the US.

Methods: A model comparing P?+?C versus C alone is developed utilizing partitioned survival analysis. Primary clinical efficacy, treatment utilization, health utility and safety data are derived from the KEYNOTE-407 trial and projected over 20?years. Costs for drugs and non-drug disease management are also incorporated. Additionally, the cost-effectiveness of P?+?C vs. pembrolizumab monotherapy (P) is evaluated via an indirect treatment comparison, for patient subgroups with PD-L1 Tumor Proportion Score (TPS)?≥?50% and 1–49%.

Results: Overall, P?+?C is projected to increase life expectancy by 1.95?years vs. C (3.86 versus 1.91). The resultant ICER is $86,293/QALY. In patients with PD-L1?≥?50%, 1–49% and <1 the corresponding incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) are $99,777/QALY, $85,986/QALY and $87,507/QALY, respectively. Versus P, in the PD-L1?≥?50% subgroup, P?+?C appears cost saving; however, this result should be interpreted with caution as there is considerable uncertainty in the relative efficacy of these comparators.

Conclusions: Across all eligible patients, the addition of pembrolizumab to chemotherapy is projected to approximately double life expectancy, yielding an extension to a point not previously seen in metastatic squamous NSCLC. Overall, and within all relevant PD-L1 subgroups, use of P?+?C yields an ICER below $100,000/QALY, and can be a cost-effective first-line treatment for eligible metastatic squamous NSCLC patients for whom chemotherapy is currently administered. In the PD-L1?≥?50% subgroup, additional follow-up within trials of pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy and pembrolizumab monotherapy are needed to better define cost-effectiveness between these comparators.     

Current and future therapeutic approaches for the treatment of small cell lung cancer

Introduction: Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a very aggressive disease characterized by a high response rate to first-line chemotherapy, but most patients relapse within 1 year with disappointing results to second-line treatments. Chemotherapy has reached a plateau of effectiveness and new therapeutic strategies are needed to change the natural history of SCLC.

Areas covered: This review will focus on the current results and the future development of the therapeutic approaches for the treatment of SCLC.

Expert commentary: Immunotherapy is becoming a new frontier for the management of SCLC with preliminary interesting results. To date, no targeted drugs have been approved for clinical practice but several novel agents are in an advanced stage of clinical development in SCLC.     

Cost Effectiveness of Pembrolizumab for Advanced Melanoma Treatment in Portugal

Background

The aim of this study was to assess the cost-effectiveness of pembrolizumab in treating patients with ipilimumab-naïve advanced melanoma in Portugal.

Neurologic complications of immune checkpoint inhibitors

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) are associated with a wide spectrum of neurologic immune-related adverse events (irAEs) including meningo-encephalitis, myasthenia gravis and various neuropathies. Although relatively rare, they often present significant diagnostic complexity and may be under-recognized. Permanent neurologic deficits and/or fatality have been described but improvement is noted in most cases with ICI discontinuation and immunosuppressive therapy.

Areas covered: This review highlights the most frequently reported ICI-associated neurologic toxicities with a particular focus on those that may be more severe and/or fatal. Data from case series and pharmacovigilance studies is leveraged to provide an overview of associated clinical features, expected outcomes and appropriate management. Various immunobiologic triggers have been proposed to explain why certain patients might develop neurologic irAEs and are also briefly discussed.

Expert opinion: All providers who care for patients with cancer should be made aware of common neurologic irAEs and able to recognize when prompt evaluation and consultation with appropriate specialists are indicated. Symptoms suggestive of encephalitis, myasthenia-gravis or an acute polyradiculopathy such as Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) in patients exposed to these agents warrant immediate attention with a low threshold for hospitalization to expedite work-up and monitor for severe and/or life-threatening manifestations.     

Association between diabetes mellitus and reduced efficacy of pembrolizumab in non–small cell lung cancer

Background

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a highly prevalent chronic metabolic disorder. Although DM has been associated with immune dysfunction, the effect of DM on the efficacy of immunotherapy is unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of DM on the efficacy of pembrolizumab in metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods

The authors reviewed the medical records of consecutive metastatic NSCLC patients treated with first-line pembrolizumab either alone or in combination with chemotherapy at a single tertiary center. For validation, a computerized data from Maccabi Healthcare Services, a 2.5–million-member state health service was used.

Results

Of the 203 eligible patients, 51 (25%) had DM. Patients with DM had a significantly shorter median progression-free survival (PFS) (5.9 vs. 7.1 months, p = .004) and overall survival (OS) (12 vs. 21 months, p = .006). The shorter OS in diabetic patients was more pronounced when pembrolizumab was given alone (12 vs. 27 months, p = .03) than when combined with chemotherapy (14.3 vs. 19.4 months, p = .06). Multivariate analysis confirmed DM as an independent risk factor for shorter PFS (hazard ratio [HR], 1.67; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.11−2.50, p = .01) and OS (HR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.09−2.76, p = .02). In a validation cohort of 452 metastatic NSCLC patients, the time on pembrolizumab treatment was shorter in diabetic patients (p = .025), with only 19.6% of patients remaining on treatment at 12 months compared to 31.7% of the nondiabetic patients.

Conclusions

This study suggests immunotherapy is less beneficial in diabetic NSCLC patients. More work is needed to verify our findings and explore similar effects in other cancer entities.