New experimental immunotherapy drug atezolizumab targets cancerous cells using the body’s own immune system. Developed by pharmaceutical company Genentech, Atezolizumab got a priority review by the FDA for its breakthrough treatment that helps patients treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) using the body’s own specialized immune cells to target and kill cancerous cells.
The American Cancer Society predicts there will be around 224,000 new cases of lung cancer in the US in 2016. Out of the projected cases, it is estimated that around 60% are difficult to treat advanced stages of lung cancer. Chemotherapy treatments like Carboplatin and Taxol are commonly used in cases of non-small cell lung cancer to prevent cancerous cell from multiplying and dividing. However, this type of therapy suppresses the immune system, making the patient susceptible to infections that can lead to death. Atezolizumab is among one of the newest therapies that targets non-small cell lung cancer in a completely new way.
The Atezolizumab Breakthrough
Atezolizumab Logo
In patients with non-small cell lung cancer, atezolizumab targets cancerous cells through the body’s own immune system. This unique mechanism of action works by binding to a protein called programmed death ligand-1 or PD-L1. In patients with non-small cell lung cancer, this protein along with B7.1 act as a protective layer to the cancerous cell that prevents the immune system’s T-cells from detecting and eliminating the cell from the body. Atezolizumab works by inhibiting PDL-1 proteins from interacting with B7.1, exposing the cancerous cells to the body’s own T-cells that help eliminate it from the body. It is important to note that while atezolizumab targets cancerous cells, it can also affect normal cells and cause side effects.
Atezolizumab BIRCH Study
Immunotherapy drug atezolizumab completed an open-label Phase II study that included 667 patients with advanced stages of non-small cell lung cancer. The participants in the study received a 1200-mg dose of Atezolizumab via an IV every three weeks. The objective of the BIRCH study is to determine the safety and effectiveness of atezolizumab in cases of non-small cell lung cancer. The most common side effects reported by patients taking atezolizumab included extreme fatigue, nausea, decreased appetite, skin itching, rash, fever, diarrhea, and abnormally high liver tests.
The preliminary results of this study gave way to the priority review of atezolizumab that could receive approval by the FDA as soon as October 2016.
