WCLC Sept 2021 | Early updates from the CheckMate73L study: nivo + CCRT followed by nivo + ipi in NSCLC

Dirk De Ruysscher, MD, PhD, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, Netherlands, discusses the rationale and preliminary data from the CheckMate73L Phase III study (NCT04026412) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The ongoing practice-changing PACIFIC study (NCT02125461) demonstrated the clear benefit of concurrent chemoradiation (CCRT) followed by durvalumab in patients with stage III unresectable NSCLC. Despite the efficacy of this treatment strategy, the rates of disease recurrence and death remain high. The NICOLAS study comparing CCRT plus nivolumab followed by nivolumab (NCT02434081) was launched in an attempt to reduce these rates, based on pre-clinical data suggesting that combining immune checkpoint inhibitors with chemoradiation could lead to better outcomes. The trial showed that this new combination reported promising improvements in overall survival (OS). These results prompted the CheckMate73L study, which compares standard of care (SOC) CCRT followed by durvalumab versus CCRT plus nivolumab followed by nivolumab versus CCRT plus nivolumab followed by nivolumab plus ipilimumab in previously untreated, locally advanced NSCLC (NCT04026412). Prof. De Ruysscher explains that since ipilimumab acts through a different pathway than anti-PD-1 and anti-PD-L1 therapies, its addition might further improve outcomes. Despite concerns about the toxicity of this agent, the CheckMate73L study has reported promising safety data so far. Finally, Prof. De Ruysscher comments on the quality of the study and on translational research carried out in CheckMate 73L. This interview took place at the World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) 2021.