Dr. O’Malley on the Rationale to Evaluate Balstilimab/Zalifrelimab in Cervical Cancer

David M. O'Malley, MD, professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Ohio State University (OSU) College of Medicine; director, Division of Gynecologic Oncology and Clinical Research in Gynecologic Oncology; and co-director, Gynecologic Oncology Phase I Program, The OSU Comprehensive Cancer Center–James, discusses the rationale to evaluate the combination of balstilimab and zalifrelimab (AGEN1884) in cervical cancer.

Balstilimab, an anti–PD-1 inhibitor, in combination with the anti–CTLA-4 inhibitor zalifrelimab was evaluated in a single-arm phase 2 trial (NCT03495882) in patients with recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer. The results of the study, which were presented during the 2021 ESMO Congress, demonstrated impressive response rates, duration of response, and overall survival (OS) with the combination in this patient population.

The utility of combining PD-1 and CTLA-4 inhibitors has been well established across other tumor types, O’Malley explains. In other tumors, although the dual blockade approach yields a modest benefit in overall response rate, durable responses have been observed that often translate to an OS benefit, O’Malley concludes.