Efficacy of Re-challenge With Immune-checkpoints Inhibitors in Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Patients: a Retrospective Observational Study

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICP), including nivolumab, pembrolizumab and atezolizumab, are currently approved by EMA (European Medicines Agency) and ANSM (National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products) for the treatment of advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) in first or second line with different strategies according to the expression of PD-L1. Moreover, durvalumab recently entered the treatment strategy for locally advanced disease in PD-L1 expressing (>1%) patients. Median progression-free survival (PFS) for patients with advanced NSCLC is approximately 3 to 4 months with this kind of drugs and chemotherapy is currently the reference treatment after progression. However, the scientific community is now evaluating the re-challenge strategy. Notably, in patients with metastatic melanoma, different trials have shown the efficacy and the good safety of re-challenge with ipilimumab or a combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab after an initial period of disease control with ipilimumab.

To date, no studies have reported the clinical benefit of ICP re-challenge in patients with advanced NSCLC. The effectiveness and tolerance of the re-challenge strategy with the same or another ICP remains therefore a major issue.