RE:RE:RE:RE:RE:Upcoming patient dataCancerSlayer wrote: Enrique wrote...
"From what I understand from N-803 plus BCG results is they have 62% of CR patients maintaining CR at 12 months post 1st CR that comes out to 44% CR of all CIS patients (62% of the 71%) at 18 months it's 55% of 71% or 39% and 52% of 71% or 37% 24 months post 1st CR. They make it look better than it really is. But yes it's still very good, but hopefully we can match or beat with only one single agent and 2 treatments instead of 15-20 plus treatments.
44%CR at 12 months, 39% CR at 18 months and 37% at 24 months."
Agree with those %s. It is my understanding that the N-803 + BCG protocol requires a minimum of 21 treatments, which includes an initial induction = 1st treatment period (6 instillations), a 1st maintenance treatment = 2nd treatment period after first disease assessment (3 instillations) & a 2nd maintenance treatment = 3rd treatment period (3 instillations at 6, 9, 12 & 18 months for a total of 12 instillations). Eligible patients then have the option of continuing maintenance treatments at 24, 30 & 36 months (an additional 9 instillations) for a grand total of 30 instillations/treatments.
Imo, the notable drop in CR after 24 months can be a result of patients opting out of additional treatments (can you blame them), & more than likely after a certain point, additional treatments simply lead to significantly diminishing returns = that previously triggered portion of the body's immune system (of which T cells play a big part) is simply exhausted or has been maxed out. This certainly is one downside/weakness of using checkpoint inhibitors...a weakness that TLT's ACT can either circumvent or at least help strengthen. All imo. Good luck...
NOTE:
Although N-803 is not a checkpoint inhibitor, but rather a form of interleukin or cytokine that stimulates an immune response, the drop-off in CR% after 24 months (using N-803 + BCG) suggests a similar process of T cell/immune response exhaustion may be occurring as can happen with checkpoint inhibitors. The immune response simply can no longer be boosted, which may reflect a form of biological self-defense. My guess is various forms of immunotherapies (including Keytruda) may not only be exhausting the immune system, but also causing selection pressures that can lead to cancer treatment resistance...just my personal hunches.