The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved a new drug for certain adult patients with endometrial cancer. The drug, called Jemperli (dostarlimab-gxly), is an immunotherapy-based drug made by British pharmaceutical company GSK. It is intended for people with primary advanced or recurrent forms of the cancer. Immunotherapy drugs work by leveraging the body’s immune system to attack cancer cells.
Dr. Brian Slomovitz, director of gynecologic oncology and co-chair of the Cancer Research Committee at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Florida, noted that in clinical trials, Jemperli showed improved progression-free survival and overall survival for all patients. This approval marks the third FDA approval this year for immunotherapy in endometrial cancer.
Before immunotherapy options became available, the only treatment for endometrial cancer was chemotherapy alone. With the recent approvals of immunotherapy drugs, patients now have more treatment options available to them. The most common side effects of immunotherapy drugs are gastrointestinal, endocrine, and dermatologic toxicities, but these side effects are manageable.
Doctors are encouraged to consider incorporating immunotherapy as a first-line treatment option for their patients with endometrial cancer. The addition of immunotherapy to traditional chemotherapy has shown better results and improved survival outcomes. The trials for the new cancer drugs were conducted through the GOG Foundation, the largest cooperative group for all gynecologic oncology research.
In addition to Jemperli, other immunotherapy drugs like Keytruda and Imfinzi have also been approved for the treatment of endometrial cancer. These drugs have shown significant improvements in progression-free survival for patients with advanced or recurrent disease. The use of immunotherapy drugs in combination with chemotherapy has led to better outcomes for patients without a negative impact on their quality of life.
Overall, the recent FDA approvals for immunotherapy drugs in endometrial cancer have transformed outcomes for patients and are expected to change the treatment landscape for the better in the future. Patients now have more treatment options available to them, and precision medicine can be employed to improve survival rates for those with endometrial cancer.
The approval of Jemperli and other immunotherapy drugs represents a significant advancement in the treatment of endometrial cancer, offering new hope for patients with this disease.