From September 13 to 17, 2024, the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Annual Meeting was held in Barcelona, Spain. At this prestigious conference, the DUBHE-H-308 study led by Dr. Shukui Qin from Nanjing Tianyinshan Hospital, affiliated with China Pharmaceutical University, was selected for an LBA oral presentation (Abstract No.: LBA38). On September 13, from 16:00 to 16:10 local time, Dr. Shukui Qin presented the study online. Oncology Frontier attended the event and compiled the key findings of this significant research for readers.

The DUBHE-H-308 study is a randomized, open-label, phase II/III clinical trial designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of QL1706, a novel bispecific antibody (targeting both PD-1 and CTLA-4), in combination with bevacizumab and/or chemotherapy as a first-line treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (aHCC). In this study, 120 patients were randomly assigned to four different treatment groups, receiving combinations of QL1706 with bevacizumab and chemotherapy or control group treatments.

The results showed that the QL1706 combination therapy demonstrated superior performance in improving objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) compared to the control group. Additionally, the 6-month progression-free survival (PFS) rate in the QL1706 group reached 79.0%, surpassing the control standard. Safety analysis indicated that the QL1706 combination had an acceptable safety profile, with no new safety concerns identified, and the incidence of ≥grade 3 treatment-related adverse events (AEs) was within an acceptable range.

These positive preliminary results led the Independent Data Monitoring Committee to recommend the QL1706 combined with bevacizumab and XELOX chemotherapy regimen for the phase III trial, to further explore the potential and value of this treatment in aHCC.

Dr. Shukui Qin

Academic Advisor and Chief Physician, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Pharmaceutical University (Nanjing Tianyinshan Hospital) Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Clinical Oncology Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing Medical University, and Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Specialist in tumor clinical treatment and research, expert for the Central Health Care Commission Executive Member of the Federation of Asian Clinical Oncology (FACO), Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC), and Asian Clinical Oncology Society (ACOS) Vice President of the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO) Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Beijing CSCO Foundation Core Expert of the Hematology and Oncology Drug Advisory Committee of the National Medical Products Administration Chairman of the Expert Committee for Oncology Capacity Building and Continuing Education of the National Health Commission President-elect of the Jiangsu Anti-Cancer Association