Enhanced effect of checkpoint inhibitors when given after or together with IMM-101: significant responses in four advanced melanoma patients with no additional major toxicity

BACKGROUND: The use of checkpoint inhibitors (ipilimumab, pembrolizumab, nivolumab) has revolutionised the treatment of metastatic melanoma. However still more than the half the patients do not respond to single-agent immunotherapy. This has led to the development of combining these agents in an attempt to enhance the anti-cancer activity. More than 300 different studies with 15 different drug doses are currently ongoing. Combining different checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs) does indeed lead to an increase in response rate, but this is associated with significant toxicity. IMM-101 is a heat killed Mycobacterium preparation which induces marked immune modulation and little systemic toxicity. It has been reported as having activity in melanoma as single agent and in pancreatic cancer in combination with gemcitabine, the latter in a randomised study. METHODS: Here we report the effect of adding CPIs to 3 patients who had previously been on IMM-101, either as a trial or a named patient programme and a patient who received the IMM-101 together with nivolumab. RESULTS: All 4 patients had rapid and very good responses, three of them maintained over 18 months with no significant additional toxicity. CONCLUSIONS: The rapid and complete clinical responses seen in these patients may suggest that IMM-101 is activating a complementary pathway which is synergistic with CPI treatment.