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Also available in Italy atezolizumab, first anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy approved by AIFA for the treatment of monotherapy of adult patients with non-small cell lung cancer locally advanced or metastatic, previously subjected to chemotherapy. Roche research drug
Also available in Italy atezolizumab, AIFA's first approved anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy for the treatment of monotherapy in adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) ), previously subjected to chemotherapy. The drug is the result of Roche's research
The publication of the AIFA determinant of July 14, 2018 in the Official Gazette actually makes atezolizumab, a monoclonal antibody designed to interfere with the PD-L1 protein, now prescribed in our country.
Lung cancer, whose NSCLC typology represents 85% of cases, remains, today, still one of the most complex tumors facing oncologists, responsible each year for 1.6%. million deaths worldwide.
Atezolizumab achieved Innovative Drug status of AIFA, thanks to the POPLAR Phase II study and the OAK Phase III study, which showed that 39, it is able to ensure better survival compared to docetaxel treatment.
"Atezolizumab represents an evolution in the field of monoclonal antibodies, a clbad of drugs that has revolutionized the clinical practice of tumors, being the first anti-PD-L1 with a strong component of biotechnological innovation" , he explained Fortunato Ciardiello professor of medical oncology and president of the School of Medicine and Surgery of the University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli and, currently, outgoing president from the ESMO (European Society of Medical Oncology) "The fundamental element that distinguishes Atezolizumab is its direct, selective and complete mechanism of action, which represents a novelty by compared to the anti PD-1 on the market. Direct because it targets precisely the PD-L1 protein in tumor cells and in tumor-invading immune cells to reactivate T cells; selective, as it preserves interactions between PD-L2 and PD-1, helping to minimize autoimmune reactions in healthy tissues, increasing tolerability of the drug and reducing side effects; complete because it prevents PD-L1 from binding to other proteins, such as the B71 receptor present in certain types of lymphocytes, both in the tumor environment and in the lymph node. "
The innovative mechanism of action of atezolizumab results in significant benefits, especially in the different phases of the OAK study." The drug showed, in fact, an improvement in median survival compared with docetaxel (13.8 months vs 9.6 months), even in subjects with low or no PD-L1 expression (12.6 months vs 8.9 months)); Atezolizumab is well tolerated by patients on treatment and has a favorable safety profile compared to docetaxel.These positive results have led to the inclusion of the drug in the national guidelines for integrated management of the patient reached. of lung cancer of the Italian Association of Oncology of Thoracic Diseases (AIOT).
"AFAA approval of atezolizumab as a second-line treatment intention is an important step for doctors and patients. The drug offers, indeed, an advantage in terms of overall survival and tolerance to a large population of patients with NSCLC lung carcinoma, regardless of their clinical or molecular characteristics. In particular, second-line atezolizumab showed better efficacy than chemotherapy and, by indirect comparison, better data than nivolumab in patients with negative expression of PD-L1, accounting for about 40% of patients. case in clinical practice .- says Filippo de Marinis director of the Division of Thoracic Oncology of the European Institute of Oncology of Milan – In addition, its effectiveness was found also in people over 75 years of age and in those with advanced brain metastases, two types of patients who until now have not benefited from available second-line therapies. For us specialists, this drug represents a new important prescription treatment opportunity, more effective than chemotherapy and more tolerable than PD-1 inhibitors, as evidenced by data on the incidence of serious pneumonia related to the drug. use of both clbades of drugs: about 0.4% with anti PD-L1 as atezolizumab against 1% of PD-1 anti. "
In addition to second-line therapy, atezolizumab has also yielded encouraging results in the first-line treatment of the NSCLC tumor as shown by data from the IMpower131 and IMpower150 studies presented at the last congress of The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) .In addition, the drug gives positive results in the treatment of small cell lung cancer (SCLC), a form of cancer difficult to treat, as evidenced by the following: IMpower133 phase III study, which achieved overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) .New data on the effectiveness of atezolizumab in the first line, alone or in combination with d & # 39; 39, other drugs, in the field of immunotherapy for the treatment of lung cancer, will be presented at future international meetings.
Pulmonary carcinoma, however, this is not the only field of & # 39; application of atezolizumab: indeed, this molecule is currently being studied in several indications, including gastrointestinal tract cancers, cervicofacial metastatic bad cancer and triple negative
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