What type of drug is Libtayo?
Libtayo (cemiplimab-rwlc) is a programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) blocking antibody (also called an immune checkpoint inhibitor).
What are immune checkpoints?
Immune checkpoints are part of the immune system and their function is to prevent healthy cells from being destroyed when a strong immune response is triggered in the body.
Immune checkpoints are activated when proteins on the surface of T-cells recognize and bind to partner proteins on other cells (such as cancer cells) sending an “off” signal to the T-cells. This prevents the immune system from destroying the cancer cells. When the checkpoint proteins are blocked from binding with their partner proteins, the "off" signal can't be sent, and the T-cells can then kill the cancer cells.
How does Libtayo work?
Libtayo is a recombinant human immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4) monoclonal antibody that works by blocking PD-1 to inhibit binding with the cancer cell proteins. This means the T cells remain active, so they can attack and kill the cancer cells.
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What types of cancer is Libtayo used to treat?
Libtayo is used for the treatment of patients with metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) or locally advanced CSCC who are not candidates for curative surgery or radiation.
Libtayo is used for the treatment of patients with locally advanced basal cell carcinoma (laBCC) or metastatic BCC (mBCC) that has been previously treated with a hedgehog pathway inhibitor or for whom a hedgehog pathway inhibitor is not appropriate.
Libtayo is also used for the first‐line treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with no EGFR, ALK or ROS1 aberrations either in combination with platinum‐based chemotherapy, or as a single agent in patients whose tumors also have high PD-L1 expression.
References
- Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Libtayo Product Label. Available at https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2022/761097s014lbl.pdf [Accessed November 15, 2022]
- National Cancer Institute. Immune checkpoint inhibitors. Available at https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types/immunotherapy/checkpoint-inhibitors [Accessed February 10, 2021]
Read next
Is non-small cell lung cancer hereditary?
A hereditary family history of lung cancer is one of the many risk factors for developing non-small cell lung cancer. About 8% of lung cancers are thought to be inherited or linked to gene changes, but smoking and air pollution remain the primary causes of lung cancer. Continue reading
How aggressive is non-small cell lung cancer?
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tends to spread more slowly than small cell lung cancer (SCLC). About 80% of all lung cancers are diagnosed as NSCLC. Some forms of NSCLC do grow rapidly, such as large cell undifferentiated carcinoma and large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma. Lung cancer most commonly spreads to the liver, brain, bones or adrenal glands. Continue reading
Does smoking cause non-small cell lung cancer?
Yes, smoking can cause non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the most common type of lung cancer. NSCLC accounts for about 85% of all cases of lung cancer. Smoking tobacco contributes to 80% to 90% of all lung cancer deaths. Continue reading
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