Dr. Mettu on the Potential of CPI-613 in Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer

Niharika B. Mettu, MD, PhD, assistant professor medicine, Duke Cancer Institute, discusses the potential of CPI-613 in the treatment of patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer.

In the frontline setting, physicians can choose between FOLFIRINOX or the combination of gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel (Abraxane) for their patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. Beyond that, there has not been as much development in terms of novel therapies, says Mettu. However, there are many trials open in the frontline setting. In 2017, investigators published a paper in Lancet Oncology on CPI-613 in combination with FOLFIRINOX. That regimen induced some impressive results, says Mettu. Now, the combination is currently being examined in a phase III study.

CPI-613 has a novel mechanism of action that differs from the other drugs that are commonly used, explains Mettu. It operates on the tricarboxylic acid cycle and inhibits 2 different enzymes. It's a lipoate analogue and it's different from standard cytotoxic chemotherapy. That may be what physicians need in pancreatic cancer—–an agent that differs from standard cytotoxic combination therapies, concludes Mettu.