ESMO 2021 | Update on the CheckMate649 trial in treatment-naïve GEA

Elizabeth Smyth, MD, Cambridge University Hospitals, Cambridge, UK, summarises the CheckMate649 trial (NCT02872116), a Phase III trial which compared three treatment regimens (chemotherapy, chemotherapy plus nivolumab, or chemotherapy-free nivolumab plus ipilimumab) in patients with treatment-naïve gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma (GEA). In patients with PDL-1 CPS5 (or greater) tumors, the chemotherapy plus nivolumab regimen resulted in a 3 month longer overall survival (OS) than chemotherapy alone. The nivolumab plus ipilimumab regimen did not results in an improvement in OS (the primary endpoint) and this arm was closed early due to high toxicity. Combination immunotherapy was suggested as a good treatment in the future for MSI patients. This interview took place at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2021 congress.