START Madrid-HM CIOCC

Summary Even though the immuno-oncology (IO) era has achieved many successes, some signs of research development deceleration are arising. Recently, the number of FDA immunotherapy approvals has decreased concurrently with a decline in the relative number of patients recruited to these trials. Identifying the unique features of IO treatments and taking them into consideration on clinical research will lead to a better evaluation of these agents and patient outcomes.

Background: Hallmarks of tumor growth include angiogenesis and immunosuppression. This is the first study to combine R (VEGFR2 antibody) with P (PD-1 antibody) to target both processes simultaneously. R and P have both shown clinical activity in multiple tumor types. Methods: This ongoing phase 1a/b study (NCT02443324) enrolled pts with gastric or gastroesophageal junction (G/GEJ), NSCLC, urothelial carcinoma (UC), or biliary tract cancer (BTC) following progression on systemic therapy.