Onkológia 3/2011

Ipilimumab in the treatment of malignant melanoma

The results of clinical study MDX010-20 were published last year. This is a multi-center, randomized phase 3 clinical trial, which showed significant improvement in overall survival in patients with metastatic malignant melanoma treated with ipilimumab. For the first time in the history of the systemic treatment of metastatic melanoma a significant effect of treatment on overall survival was demonstrated on the basis of a randomized controlled phase 3 clinical trial. It is an immunomodulatory antibody that blocks the immunosuppressive receptor CTLA-4 (cytotoxic T lymphocyte associated antigen 4) on the surface of immune cells. This drug and this study represent significant progress not only in the treatment of malignant melanoma but also represent a major breakthrough in clinical exploitation of immunity in the treatment of malignant tumors. This is a new type of immunotherapy that is expected to effect a progress comparable with contribution of trastuzumab in the adjuvant treatment of breast cancer. Regulatory mechanisms of the immune system will be targeted to treat cancer in this area.

Keywords: ipilimumab, malignant melanoma.