Can a TKI Boost Anti-PD-L1 Activity in NSCLC?

Can adding a TKI that targets programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) to a monoclonal antibody that also targets PD-L1 improve outcomes over the monoclonal antibody alone in locally advanced, unresectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)? Researchers in China have come in with a qualified yes.

The authors of the new study found that a combination of anlotinib, an oral small-molecule TKI, and benmelstobart (TQB2450), a humanized immunoglobulin G subclass 1 (IgG1) monoclonal antibody that targets PD-L1, improved progression-free survival (PFS) compared with benmelstobart alone after concurrent/sequential chemoradiotherapy (60 Gray ± 10%).

A downside of taking the TKI was a significant increase in side effects, Ming Chen, MD, PhD, lead investigator of the R-ALPS trial, reported at American S