Key takeaways: CheckMate 743 is a clinical trial that uses two drugs–nivolumab and ipilimumab–to revitalize a healthy immune response for mesothelioma treatment. A characteristic of mesothelioma is its ability to hamper and even extinguish a healthy immune response; this facilitates unchecked tumor growth and metastasis. After three years of clinical trials, the researchers established that the clinical trial outperformed chemotherapy: the median survival rate was four months higher for patients receiving the clinical trial.
What is CheckMate 743?
CheckMate 743 is an ongoing clinical trial of two immunotherapeutic drugs–nivolumab and ipilimumab–for treatment of mesothelioma. Nivolumab is a restorative immune drug: it reinstates the antitumor functionality of T cells. In traditional mesothelioma trajectories, cancerous cells hijack healthy T cells; T cells are usually responsible for destroying infected or cancerous cells. When T cells have restored functionality, they are able to a.) identify mesothelioma cells as cancerous; b.) coordinate an active immune response; and c.) begin attacking cancerous cells. Ipilimumab facilitates the rejuvenated T cell response by blocking the effects of cancer-mediated T cell inhibitors. When administered together, they allow the body’s immune response to “treat” the existing mesothelioma.
The clinical trial of CheckMate 743 has taken place over a three year period, with 605 patients involved. 303 were randomly assigned nivolumab and ipilimumab, and 302 were randomly assigned chemotherapy. During check-ins, researchers analyzed several factors: health-related quality of life, quality of life, overall survival, and others.
In May 2022, the researchers conducted the most recent (and final) assessment of treatment efficacy. They established a 26% increase in overall survival rates in patients that received the clinical trial versus chemotherapy, among other factors that made employment of the clinical trial favorable. An important stipulation of the study was the qualification of “unresectable” mesothelioma, or mesothelioma that cannot be removed via surgery. All of the patients involved had unresectable mesothelioma and had otherwise stopped their given treatment plans. This could mean that an early diagnosis coupled with nivolumab and ipilimumab could result in even better outcomes than in unresectable patients.
Will 743 Set New Treatment Precedents?
CheckMate 743 is in its third year of clinical trials, and its success is self-evident: the median overall survival is approximately four months higher than with other treatments. It has been established as a viable first-line treatment plan for mesothelioma patients.
Although the CheckMate 743 treatment doesn’t cure mesothelioma–as mesothelioma has an aggressive carcinogenesis, or cancer growth–it’s a viable option for most patients. Considering most treatment options are physically demanding or pose more risks than rewards, CheckMate 743 will likely set a new precedent for future mesothelioma treatments. Because the drugs utilize the normal immune response as their medium of treatment, there isn’t a systemic risk, like those associated with chemotherapy and other treatments. Chemotherapy interferes with the cell cycles of all cells, and healthy cells become collateral damage in the wake of targeting cancerous cells; this leaves already compromised patients with a poorer quality of life and weakened prognosis. However, without the need for surgery or an introduction of potentially harmful drugs, CheckMate 743 is revolutionizing the ways that doctors and researchers conceptualize treatment plans.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, please call The Halpern Law Firm at 1 (800) 505-6000. We are here to help you navigate the legal process of filing a claim to receive compensation for your cancer diagnosis. We help mesothelioma victims and their families in Pennsylvania.
Sources:
https://ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/JCO.2023.41.16_suppl.8536
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169500222003816
Written By Carina Filemyr
