In the pursuit of improving outcomes for patients with refractory microsatellite-stable metastatic colorectal cancer (MSS mCRC), Dr. Filippo Pietrantonio has made significant contributions through groundbreaking research exploring the potential of combining vorbipiprant, a prostaglandin EP4 antagonist, with PD-1 blockade therapy.
This Phase Ib/IIa trial, conducted with the valuable collaboration of a distinguished team of researchers, aimed to overcome the resistance commonly seen in MSS mCRC, where traditional immune checkpoint inhibitors have shown limited efficacy. The study demonstrated a disease control rate of 50%, with promising responses observed even in heavily pretreated patients. Notably, the combination therapy was well-tolerated, highlighting its potential as a viable treatment option in future clinical settings.
While Dr. Pietrantonio’s leadership has been pivotal, the study’s success is the result of the collective expertise and dedication of all the co-authors involved. Their work underscores the importance of innovative combination strategies to sensitize tumors to immunotherapy, particularly in biomarker-enriched populations. The research also highlights the critical role of patient selection based on immune-related biomarkers to optimize therapeutic outcomes.
