| The following article features coverage from the Society of Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) 2020 meeting. Click here to read more of Cancer Therapy Advisor‘s conference coverage. |
CPI-006, the B-cell activating antibody being evaluated as an anticancer treatment, may promote an immune response against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), according to the results of a phase 1 study presented at the virtual Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer 35th Anniversary Annual Meeting & Preconference Programs (SITC 2020).
Anti–SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were discovered in a patient with asymptomatic COVID-19 who also had cancer and had received CPI-006 in a clinical trial. The purpose of this study was to evaluate CPI-006 to enhance antiviral immune response.
The phase 1 trial treated 22 patients with laboratory-confirmed, mild-to-moderate COVID-19 with a single dose of 4 different doses of CPI-006. Patients were hospitalized with an oxygen saturation of at least 92% on <5 L/min of oxygen. All patients received standard COVID-19 treatment and were monitored for safety, symptoms, inflammatory markers, and anti–SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.
Continue Reading
At baseline, the median age of patients was 58.5 years, and 95% of patients were from high-risk racial groups. All patients had comorbidities including diabetes, hypertension, obesity, pulmonary disorders, and/or cancer.
After CPI-006 administration, the median duration of COVID-19 symptoms was 8 days (range, 1-21 days). Most patients were discharged from the hospital with clinical improvement at a median of 4 days (range, 2-23 days), with 1 patient remaining hospitalized at end of study.
Anti–spike protein and anti–receptor binding domain IgG and IgM were produced earlier with higher doses of CPI-006 and at higher levels than convalescent controls. Antibodies persisted for at least 84 days beyond the presentation of symptoms. Peripheral memory B-cell and memory/effector T-cell populations were also elevated after CPI-006 administration.
There were no treatment-related adverse events reported.
The authors concluded that “B-cell activation with CPI-006 may represent a novel immunotherapy for infectious disease.” They added that a phase 3 trial is planned among patients with COVID-19.
Read more of Cancer Therapy Advisor‘s coverage of the SITC 2020 meeting by visiting the conference page.
Reference
Criner GJ, Mobasher M, Hill GM, et al. Immunotherapy with B cell activating antibody CPI-006 in patients (pts) with mild to moderate COVID-19 stimulations anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody response, memory B cells and memory T effector cells. Presented at: Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer 35th Anniversary Annual Meeting & Preconference Programs (SITC 2020); November 11-14, 2020. Abstract 325. J Immunother Cancer. 2020;8(Suppl 3):A656–A959.
