Health care professionals enthusiastic about approval of first cell therapy for melanoma
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Key takeaways:
- HCPs online celebrated the approval of lifileucel for advanced melanoma.
- Online mentions of pharmaceutical product launches and drug approvals increased 19% compared with the prior month.
An analysis of global online conversations among health care professionals on social media in February showed an overarching sense of enthusiasm about FDA approval of the first cellular therapy to treat unresectable or metastatic melanoma.
The FDA granted accelerated approval to lifileucel (Amtagvi, Iovance Biotherapeutics) — a tumor-derived autologous T cell immunotherapy — on Feb. 16.
Results of the C-144-01 clinical trial — which included 73 individuals with previously treated advanced melanoma — showed a 31.5% objective response rate with lifileucel, according to an Iovance Biotherapeutics press release.
Health care professionals (HCPs) were thrilled about the news, calling it a “major milestone” and a “genuine game changer” in the solid tumor therapy space.
Several HCPs — including Ian Weissman, DO, FACR — radiologist with the Department of Veteran Affairs and chair of American College of Radiology's patient- and family-centered care outreach committee — described lifileucel as a “groundbreaking treatment.”
Others to congratulate the team behind the development of the treatment included Patrick J. Hanley, PhD, chief and director of the cellular therapy program at Children’s National Hospital.
Creation Healthcare — a leading digital insights consultancy — used CREATION Pinpoint to analyze 1,955 English-language posts on X (formerly Twitter) by 1,346 HCPs from Feb. 1 to Feb. 29 to identify key aspects of discussions about FDA approval or launch of pharmaceutical products.
Discussion related to the lifileucel approval came amid a broader 19% increase in the number of online mentions of pharmaceutical product launches and drug approvals compared with January.
An additional 160 HCPs participated in these conversations during February.
The chart above plots the daily number of mentions of product launches, and compares them to previous average daily levels of conversation across November, December and January. The chart reveals peaks in discussion around several approvals in the middle of the month.
Also on Feb. 16, the FDA approved osimertinib (Tagrisso, AstraZeneca) in combination with chemotherapy for patients with non-small cell lung cancer whose tumors harbor EGFR exon 19 deletions or exon 21 L858R mutations.
Some HCPs noted several of the advantages the treatment can offer, such as significant PFS benefits. However, a higher number of HCPs exhibited apprehension about the approval. Some were particularly critical, with one arguing that the FDA had “no clue” and was “permitting an option that could worsen outcomes for people.”
There also was some hesitancy based on a lack of mature OS data, with some questions arising as to its long term impacts on survival.
Estelamari Rodriguez, MD, MPH, co-lead of the thoracic site disease group at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at University of Miami, stated on X that sometimes the FDA approves treatments that she, as a physician, is “not ready to start in all patients.”
Omalizumab (Xolair, Genentech) — an injection intended as the first medication to help reduce allergic reactions to multiple foods after accidental exposure — also received FDA approval on Feb. 16.
HCPs characterized the approval as a “very exciting announcement.”
Juan C. Ivancevich, MD, head of allergy and immunology at Clinica Santa Isabel in Buenos Aires, posted on X that the treatment would provide “new hope for those affected” by food allergies.
HCPs elsewhere congratulated the team that contributed to the development of the treatment.
Through February, the three most shared stories among HCPs online were an Iovance Biotherapeutics press release on the approval of lifileucel for advanced melanoma, an FDA press release on the approval of the same treatment, and an FDA press release on the approval of osimertinib for NSCLC.
References:
- FDA approves first cellular therapy to treat patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma (press release). Available at: https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-cellular-therapy-treat-patients-unresectable-or-metastatic-melanoma. Published Feb. 16, 2024. Accessed March 8, 2024.
- FDA approves osimertinib with chemotherapy for EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (press release). Available at: https://www.fda.gov/drugs/resources-information-approved-drugs/fda-approves-osimertinib-chemotherapy-egfr-mutated-non-small-cell-lung-cancer. Published Feb. 16, 2024. Accessed March 8, 2024.
- Yasar Hammor, MRCP, FRCP, MHPE, MSc. @YasarHammor. Feb. 17, 2024. X (Twitter).
- Patrick J. Hanley, PhD. @DrPHanley. Feb. 16, 2024. X (Twitter).
- Iovance’s Amtagvi (lifileucel) receives U.S. FDA accelerated approval for advanced melanoma (press release). Available at: https://ir.iovance.com/news-releases/news-release-details/iovances-amtagvitm-lifileucel-receives-us-fda-accelerated. Published Feb. 16, 2024. Accessed March 8, 2024.
- Juan C. Ivancevich MD. @Aller_MD. Feb. 17, 2024. . X (Twitter).
- John M. James, MD. @FoCoHog. Feb. 16, 2024. X (Twitter).
- Stephen V. Liu, MD. @StephenVLiu. Feb. 16, 2024. X (Twitter).
- Rami Manochakian MD, FASCO. @RManochakian. Feb. 16, 2024. X (Twitter).
- Vinay Prasad MD MPH. @VPrasadMDMPH. Feb. 16, 2024. X (Twitter).
- Estelamari Rodriguez, MD, MPH. @Latinamd. Feb. 16, 2024. X (Twitter).
- Yüksel Ürün, MD. @DrYukselUrun. Feb. 17, 2024. X (Twitter).
- Ian Weissman, DO. @DrIanWeissman. Feb. 16, 2024. X (Twitter).
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