Using checkpoint inhibitors is the latest hot‑button topic among oncologists and cancer specialists. Mesothelioma is no different.
Most use immune checkpoint inhibitors, a form of immunotherapy. However, a new type of treatment was tested in a recent clinical trial and performed exceptionally.
CBP501 is a G2 checkpoint inhibitor. It specifically targets the G2 checkpoint, which is involved in regulating the duplication of damaged genes.
A phase 2 clinical trial tested CBP501 for malignant mesothelioma. The study started in 2008, according to its page on the clinical trials database. So the number of mesothelioma therapies has increased since then, but more options are still needed.
Survival Stats from the CBP501 Mesothelioma Study
Patients received 20 mg single‑dose vials containing a sterile lyophilized power. This powder contains CBP501, which is a peptide acetate salt. It’s used for other cancers as an experimental therapy.
Patients also receive pemetrexed and cisplatin, the two FDA‑approved chemotherapy drugs for mesothelioma.
Two‑thirds of patients received CBP501 with mesothelioma chemotherapy. Those patients outperformed the group receiving only chemotherapy.
Of the 40 patients receiving CBP501, 62% (25) of them had progression‑free survival for at least four months. Only nine of 23 (39%) receiving just chemotherapy reached this mark.
The benchmark for success was 54% (23 of 40) progression‑free survival. The CBP501 group surpassed this goal, giving reason to further evaluate CBP501 with chemotherapy.
The researchers also monitored the side effects of the treatment. Only one of the 40 patients passed away during the study. However, 21 of 40 (52%) experienced an adverse risk event. These included:
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Fatigue
- Dehydration
- Difficult breathing
- Hypoxia (decreased oxygen reaching tissue)
- Decreased hemoglobin (red protein tasked with transporting oxygen)
While the percentage of serious adverse effects among CBP501 patients was greater than 50%, it was close to equal with the group receiving just chemotherapy.
Sources & Author
- Study of CBP501 + Pemetrexed + Cisplatin on MPM (Phase I/II). Clinicaltrials.gov. Retrieved from: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00700336. Accessed: 08/03/2021.
- G2 checkpoint inhibitor CBP501. National Cancer Institute. Retrieved from: https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-drug/def/serine-threonine-kinase-inhibitor-cbp501. Accessed: 08/03/2021.
Sources & Author
