Community Practice ConnectionTM: Maximizing the Potential of Cancer Immunotherapies: Collaborative Efforts to Refine Biomarker-Guided Immunotherapy

Release Date: August 31, 2020
Expiration Date: August 31, 2021

Activity Overview

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have become an integral part of cancer treatment over the past few years; however, assessing which patients to initiate ICI therapy in (and when to initiate therapy) can be challenging. Predictive immuno-oncology (IO) biomarkers, such as PD-L1 levels, tumor mutational burden (TMB), DNA mismatch repair (dMMR) mutations, and microsatellite instability (MSI), can help guide decisions regarding immunotherapy choice. Oftentimes, however, there are different diagnostic testing platforms for each IO biomarker as well as differences in interpretation and reporting of the results based on tumor type. With the volume of emerging data on IO biomarkers and ICIs, it has never been more important for researchers and practitioners to be knowledgeable about the benefits, risks, and appropriate uses of emerging diagnostics and immunotherapies.

This Community Practice Connection™ program provides an in-depth review of some of the key highlights from the live satellite symposium presented at the 2020 AACR Annual Meeting held in June 2020. This unique and engaging multi-media activity is ideal for the community-based clinician and focuses on the practical aspects of managing patients with advanced cancer, putting recent research into clinical context. The program is designed for those who did not attend the live meeting and to help reinforce learnings for those who did attend.

Acknowledgement of Commercial Support

This activity is supported by an educational grant from Merck & Co., Inc.

Target Audience

This educational activity is directed toward oncologists, researchers, pathologists, other laboratory professionals, and nurses who are interested in biomarkers for cancer immunotherapies.

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this educational activity, you should be better prepared to:

• Describe the most recent clinical evidence supporting the use of cancer immunotherapies across tumor types
• Summarize ongoing research efforts to better understand current and emerging biomarkers with the potential to guide cancer treatment with immunotherapy
• Evaluate the benefits and limitations of different methodologies and platforms for testing of predictive biomarkers for immunotherapy
• Implement best practices for the use of diagnostic tools and biopsy sampling for immunotherapy biomarker testing, based on the latest recommendations and evidence

Faculty, Staff, and Planners’ Disclosures

In accordance with ACCME Guidelines, PER^® has identified and resolved all COI for faculty, staff, and planners prior to the start of this activity by using a multistep process.

Faculty

Charles G. Drake, MD, PhD, FAAP
Milstein Family Professor of Medicine
Division of Hematology/Oncology
Director, Genitourinary Oncology
Associate Director, Translational Research
Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center
Columbia University Irving Medical Center
New York, NY

Disclosures: Consultant: AstraZeneca, Bayer, Bristol Myers Squibb, Compugen, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, F-star Biotechnology, Genocea Biosciences, Janssen Pharmaceutica, Kleo Pharmaceuticals, Merck & Co, Merck Serono, Pfizer, Pierre Fabre, Genentech, Shattuck Labs, Tizona Therapeutics, UroGen Pharma, Werewolf Therapeutics; Shareholder: Compugen, Harpoon Therapeutics, Kleo Pharmaceuticals, Tizona Therapeutics, UroGen Pharma, Werewolf Therapeutics; Other: Bristol Myers Squibb (Patent).

Johanna Bendell, MD
Chief Development Officer
Director, Drug Development Unit Nashville
Sarah Cannon Research Institute
Tennessee Oncology, PLLC
Nashville, TN

Disclosures: Johanna Bendell, MD has no relevant financial relationships with commercial interest to disclose.

Roy S. Herbst, MD, PhD
Ensign Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology)
Professor of Pharmacology
Chief, Medical Oncology
Associate Director, Translational Research
Yale Cancer Center
Yale School of Medicine
New Haven, CT

Disclosures: Grant Research Support: AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly and Company, Genentech, Merck & Co; Consultant: AbbVie, ARMO BioSciences, AstraZeneca, Biodesix, Bolt Biotherapeutics, Bristol Myers Squibb, Cybrexa Therapeutics, Eli Lilly and Company, EMD Serono, Genentech, Genmab, Halozyme Therapeutics, Heat Biologics, I-Mab Biopharma, Immunocore, Infinity Pharmaceuticals, Loxo Oncology, Merck & Co, Mirati Therapeutics, Nektar Therapeutics, BioNTech US, NextCure, Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi, Seattle Genetics, Takeda, Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Symphogen, Takeda, GlaxoSmithKline, Forte Biosciences; Other: Board member (nonexecutive/independent): Junshi Biosciences

Lynette M. Sholl, MD
Associate Professor of Pathology
Harvard Medical School
Associate Pathologist
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Boston, MA

Disclosures: Consultant: EMD Serono

The staff Physicians' Education Resource^®, LLC (PER^®) have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose.

Off-Label Disclosure and Disclaimer

This activity may or may not discuss investigational, unapproved, or off-label use of drugs. Learners are advised to consult prescribing information for any products discussed. The information provided in this accredited activity is for continuing education purposes only and is not meant to substitute for the independent clinical judgment of a healthcare professional relative to diagnostic, treatment, or management options for a specific patient’s medical condition. The opinions expressed in the content are solely those of the individual faculty members and do not reflect those of PER^® or any company that provided commercial support for this activity.