Cited by 12,628Cancer Immunotherapy and BiomarkersImmunotherapy and Immune ResponsesT-cell and B-cell Immunology

Safety, activity, and immune correlates of anti–PD-1 antibody in cancer

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Topalian, Suzanne L., Hodi, F. Stephen, Brahmer, Julie R., Gettinger, Scott N., Smith, David C., McDermott, David F., Powderly, John D., Carvajal, Richard D. +22 more·2012·New England Journal of Medicine

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Blockade of programmed death 1 (PD-1), an inhibitory receptor expressed by T cells, can overcome immune resistance. We assessed the antitumor activity and safety of BMS-936558, an antibody that specifically blocks PD-1. METHODS: We enrolled patients with advanced melanoma, non-small-cell lung cancer, castration-resistant prostate cancer, or renal-cell or colorectal cancer to receive anti-PD-1 antibody at a dose of 0.1 to 10.0 mg per kilogram of body weight every 2 weeks. Response was assessed after each 8-week treatment cycle. Patients received up to 12 cycles until disease progression or a complete response occurred. RESULTS: A total of 296 patients received treatment through February 24, 2012. Grade 3 or 4 drug-related adverse events occurred in 14% of patients; there were three deaths from pulmonary toxicity. No maximum tolerated dose was defined. Adverse events consistent with immune-related causes were observed. Among 236 patients in whom response could be evaluated, objective responses (complete or partial responses) were observed in those with non-small-cell lung cancer, melanoma, or renal-cell cancer. Cumulative response rates (all doses) were 18% among patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (14 of 76 patients), 28% among patients with melanoma (26 of 94 patients), and 27% among patients with renal-cell cancer (9 of 33 patients). Responses were durable; 20 of 31 responses lasted 1 year or more in patients with 1 year or more of follow-up. To assess the role of intratumoral PD-1 ligand (PD-L1) expression in the modulation of the PD-1-PD-L1 pathway, immunohistochemical analysis was performed on pretreatment tumor specimens obtained from 42 patients. Of 17 patients with PD-L1-negative tumors, none had an objective response; 9 of 25 patients (36%) with PD-L1-positive tumors had an objective response (P=0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Anti-PD-1 antibody produced objective responses in approximately one in four to one in five patients with non-small-cell lung cancer, melanoma, or renal-cell cancer; the adverse-event profile does not appear to preclude its use. Preliminary data suggest a relationship between PD-L1 expression on tumor cells and objective response. (Funded by Bristol-Myers Squibb and others; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00730639.).

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Crossref · 10.1056/nejmoa1200690

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  • PD-L1 expression on tumor cells is regarded as the most available biomarker to predict the efficacy of ICIs in NSCLC and other malignancies.

    “So far, PD-L1 expression on tumor cells is regarded as the most available biomarker to predict the efficacy of ICIs in NSCLC and other malignancies.”

    From The Diversity of Gut Microbiome is Associated With Favorable Responses to Anti–Programmed Death 1 Immunotherapy in Chinese Patients With NSCLC (2019) · cites this paper as [8]

    The Discussion describes tumor PD-L1 expression as a candidate marker for response to anti–PD-1 therapy, and the Results report responses in 9 of 25 patients with PD-L1–positive tumors versus none of 17 with PD-L1–negative tumors. But the paper calls this analysis preliminary and says further studies are needed; it does not establish PD-L1 as the most available biomarker or address predictive efficacy across ICIs generally. Page numbers are not provided in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • A linear relationship has been reported between the proportion of ICI benefit and PD-L1 expression in NSCLC tumor sections.

    “A linear relationship has been reported between the proportion of ICI benefit and PD-L1 expression in NSCLC tumor sections.7,8”

    From The Diversity of Gut Microbiome is Associated With Favorable Responses to Anti–Programmed Death 1 Immunotherapy in Chinese Patients With NSCLC (2019) · cites this paper as [8]

    The Results section (PD-L1 Expression in Tumors; page unavailable) reports objective responses in 9 of 25 patients with PD-L1–positive tumors and none of 17 with PD-L1–negative tumors. That supports an association with response to anti–PD-1 treatment, but the analysis pooled cancer types, included only 10 patients with NSCLC, and compared positive with negative specimens; it did not establish a linear relationship between expression level and benefit specifically in NSCLC. (LLM, conf=0.87)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Response rate was 38%, in line with published clinical data of anti-PD-1 therapy in metastatic melanoma patients.

    “There were 16 responders (from here on, referred to as R) and 26 nonresponders (NR), yielding a response rate of 38%, which is in line with published clinical data of anti–PD-1 therapy in metastatic melanoma patients (5, 6).”
  • Antibodies against CTLA-4 (ipilimumab) or PD1 (nivolumab) induce quick and intense tumor regression in melanoma and NSCLC patients and are under clinical investigation in other solid tumors, including colorectal cancer.

    “Antibodies against CTLA-4 (ipilimumab) or PD1 (nivolumab) have been shown to induce quick and intense tumor regression in melanoma and NSCLC patients and are currently under clinical investigation in other solid tumors, including CRC [132, 133]”
  • Clinical blockade of B7-H1/PD-1 may rescue T cell effector functions in vivo and results in significant objective clinical responses.

    “A promising aspect is that clinical blockade of B7-H1/PD-1, the key T cell exhaustion pathway, may rescue T cell effector functions in vivo, and results in significant objective clinical responses [32,33].”

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Authors
Topalian, S. L., Hodi, F. S., Brahmer, J. R., Gettinger, S. N., Smith, D. C., McDermott, D. F., Powderly, J. D., Carvajal, R. D., Sosman, J. A., Atkins, M. B., Leming, P. D., Spigel, D. R., Antonia, S. J., Horn, L., Drake, C. G., Pardoll, D. M., Chen, L., Sharfman, W. H., Anders, R. A., Taube, J. M., McMiller, T. L., Xu, H., Korman, A. J., Jure-Kunkel, M., Agrawal, S., McDonald, D., Kollia, G. D., Gupta, A., Wigginton, J. M., & Sznol, M.
Affiliations
  • Johns Hopkins University (US)
  • Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (US)
  • Yale Cancer Center (US)
  • University of Michigan (US)
  • Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (US)
  • Carolina BioOncology Institute (US)
  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (US)
  • Vanderbilt University Medical Center (US)
  • New York Oncology Hematology (US)
  • Sarah Cannon Research Institute (GB)
  • Moffitt Cancer Center (US)
  • Bristol-Myers Squibb (United States) (US)
Venue
New England Journal of Medicine
Published
2012-06-28
Volume
366
Issue
26
Pages
2443-2454
ISSN
  • 0028-4793 (ISSN-L)
  • 1533-4406
OpenAlex
W2160834915
Cited by
12,628
References
26
Citations by year
2026: 420 · 2025: 563 · 2024: 629 · 2023: 808 · 2022: 848 · 2021: 960 · 2020: 1155 · 2019: 1055 · 2018: 1077 · 2017: 1245 · 2016: 1201 · 2015: 1063 · 2014: 813 · 2013: 629 · 2012: 140
FWCI
415.40
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • New England Journal of Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • Mayo Clinic
  • Bristol-Myers Squibb
  • Massachusetts General Hospital
  • Yale University
  • Vanderbilt University
  • University of Michigan
  • Johns Hopkins University
  • Yale Cancer Center
  • Vanderbilt University Medical Center
  • Genentech
  • Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center
  • National Cancer Institute (P30CA076292, R01CA142779)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer Immunotherapy and Biomarkers
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Immunotherapy and Immune Responses
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › T-cell and B-cell Immunology
Keywords
anti-PD-1, anti-PD-1 therapy, immune checkpoint inhibitors, melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, renal cell carcinoma, castration-resistant prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, PD-L1 expression, immune-related adverse events, pulmonary toxicity, antitumor immunity, immune resistance, durable response, maximum tolerated dose, dose-limiting toxicity
MeSH terms
Nivolumab, Adult, Antibodies, Monoclonal, Antineoplastic Agents, Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung, Carcinoma, Renal Cell, Dose-Response Relationship, Drug, Female, Humans, Ligands, Male, Melanoma, Neoplasms, Prostatic Neoplasms, Colorectal Neoplasms, Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor

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