Pd-1/pd-l1 inhibitors for the treatment of cancer

Abstract

The invention relates to methods of treating cancer in a subject, comprising administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of an inhibitor of the interaction between the PD-1 receptor and its ligand PD-L1.

1 . A method of treating cancer in a subject, comprising administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of an inhibitor of the interaction between the PD-1 receptor and its ligand PD-L1. 
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the cancer is selected from the group consisting of lung cancer, bladder cancer, squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, renal cell carcinoma, gastric cancer, Merkel cell carcinoma, gastric/gastroesophageal junction cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, castration-resistant prostate cancer, melanoma, ovarian cancer, adrenocortical carcinoma, mesothelioma, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), thymoma, adrenocortical carcinoma and urothelial carcinoma. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the subject is human, the PD-1 receptor is human PD-1 receptor, and PD-L1 is human PD-L1. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the inhibitor binds to PD-L1. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the cancer is identified as a PD-L1 positive cancer. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the inhibitor is an anti-PD-L1 antibody. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the anti-PD-L1 antibody comprises in its heavy chain the three complementarity determining regions (CDRs) according to SEQ ID NOs: 1, 2 and 3, and in its light chain the three CDRs according to SEQ ID NOs: 4, 5 and 6. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the anti-PD-L1 antibody is Avelumab, having the heavy chain sequences according to SEQ ID NOs: 7 or 8, and the light chain sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 9. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the anti-PD-L1 antibody is administered at a dose of 10 mg/kg body weight every other week. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the anti-PD-L1 antibody is administered as an intravenous infusion. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the anti-PD-L1 antibody is administered as a one hour intravenous infusion. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the method results in an objective response, preferably a complete response or a partial response. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the subject has previously received chemotherapy. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the chemotherapy comprises a platinum containing chemotherapeutic agent. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the chemotherapy is platinum-containing doublet chemotherapy. 
     
     
         16 .- 27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the cancer is urothelial carcinoma. 
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 28 , wherein the urothelial carcinoma is locally advanced or metastatic. 
     
     
         30 .- 34 . (canceled) 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer has not progressed during or following completion of first line chemotherapy. 
     
     
         36 .- 40 . (canceled)