Atezolizumab in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: good things come to those who wait.

Abstract

Advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients present poor prognosis. However, recent years have seen the advent of several novel treatments in this setting, where the role of immune checkpoint inhibitors has been investigated. Among these, the PD-L1 inhibitor atezolizumab in combination with bevacizumab has reported unprecedented results in treatment-naive patients with unresectable disease, with the recently published IMbrave150 Phase III trial showing the superiority of the combination over sorafenib monotherapy, and after having attended more than a decade of 'stagnation', the HCC medical community has a new standard of care. Herein, we examine the development and the impact of atezolizumab in advanced HCC, summarizing the mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics and recent evidence from Phase I to III clinical trials.

• Authors: Alessandro Rizzo, Angela Dalia Ricci, Giovanni Brandi
• Journal: Immunotherapy (Immunotherapy) Vol. 13 Issue 8 Pg. 637-644 (06 2021) ISSN: 1750-7448 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 33820447 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
• Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological
• atezolizumab

Topics

• Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized (therapeutic use)
• Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological (therapeutic use)
• Carcinoma, Hepatocellular (drug therapy)
• Humans
• Liver Neoplasms (drug therapy)