Omid Hamid, MD

Omid Hamid, MD, director of the Melanoma Center and Phase I Immuno-Oncology Program at The Angeles Clinic and Research Institute, discusses promising triplet combination under exploration in melanoma.

Targeted therapy plays a significant role in modern management of patients with melanoma because it offers a survival advantage, explains Hamid. There is also a significant response in patients with brain metastases.

Further research is investigating the benefit of combining immunotherapy with targeted therapy in the form of a triplet regimen, says Hamid. Multiple randomized trials that are examining triplet therapies in this space are close to finishing and initial data show a progression-free survival benefit with this approach. For example, the TRILOGY trial is evaluating the use of cobimetinib (Cotellic), vemurafenib (Zelboraf), and atezolizumab (Tecentriq) versus just cobimetinib and vemurafenib in  patients with advanced melanoma, concludes Hamid.

Videos

Omid Hamid, MD, discusses promising triplet combination under exploration in melanoma.

Dr. Hamid on Promising Triplet Combinations Under Exploration in Melanoma

 On Air! I’m your host today, Gina Columbus.

, which provides oncology professionals with the resources and information they need to provide the best patient care. In both digital and print formats, OncLive covers every angle of oncology practice, from new technology to treatment advances to important regulatory decisions.

But today, we collaborated with one of our sister brands, Oncology Nursing News (ONN), which delivers news and clinical insights for oncology nursing professionals. We teamed up with ONN Senior Editor Brielle Benyon, and sat down with Omid Hamid, MD, and Grace Cherry, NP. Hamid is chief of research, immune-oncology and co-director of the cutaneous malignancy program at the Angeles Clinic and Research Institute, and Cherry is of UCLA’s Melanoma Program.

In our exclusive interview, Dr. Hamid and Cherry shared the importance of multidisciplinary care for patients with melanoma, how to best manage immunotherapy-related adverse events, and tips for developing trusting relationships with patients so that they feel comfortable reporting toxicities. The key, they both explained, is to establish an open line of patient and provider communication to ensure that toxicities are reported—and handled&mdash;in a timely manner.

Podcasts

Omid Hamid, MD, and Grace Cherry, NP, share the importance of multidisciplinary care for patients with melanoma, how to best manage immunotherapy-related adverse events, and tips for developing trusting relationships with patients so that they feel comfortable reporting toxicities.



Collaboration Saves Lives: Managing irAEs is a "Dynamic Discussion"

Omid Hamid, MD, director of Research and Immuno-Oncology at The Angeles Clinic, discusses the FDA approval of pembrolizumab (Keytruda) for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with recurrent locally advanced or metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma.

This accelerated approval was based on findings from the phase II CITN-09/KEYNOTE-017 trial (NCT02267603). In CITN-09/KEYNOTE-017, pembrolizumab elicited an overall response rate per indedependent review of 56% (95% CI, 41%-70%), as well as a 24% complete response rate and a 32% partial response rate, in patients who did not previously receive systemic therapy for their advanced disease. 

The FDA recommends a pembrolizumab dose for MCC of 200 mg administered intravenously every 3 weeks for adults. For pediatric patients, the PD-1 inhibitor should be given at 2 mg/kg, up to a maximum of 200 mg, IV every 3 weeks for patients <18 years of age.

Dr. Hamid on the FDA Approval of Pembrolizumab in Merkel Cell Carcinoma

Omid Hamid, MD, director of Research and Immuno-Oncology at The Angeles Clinic, discusses the inclusion of patients with brain metastases on melanoma clinical trials.

A retrospective analysis was done in patients with metastatic melanoma treated with pembrolizumab (Keytruda) on the KEYNOTE-001, -002, and -006 trials looking at the outcomes of those who came onto the study with stable brain metastases compared with those who did not have brain metastases. Findings showed that patients who came on the study with stable brain metastases did just as well as patients on the study who did not have brain metastases.

Hamid says that these findings show that these patients with brain metastases can be accrued onto clinical trials along with those who do not have brain metastases. The field has moved a little further, he adds, and now patients with untreated unstable brain metastases are being looked at. However, the majority of patients in the community with brain metastases will be treated, and therefore will be deemed fit for clinical trial evaluation as supported by the findings in this analysis.

Omid Hamid, MD, director of Research and Immuno-Oncology at The Angeles Clinic, discusses the inclusion of patients with brain metastases on melanoma clinical trials.
 

Author | Omid Hamid, MD

Articles

Dr. Hamid on Promising Triplet Combinations Under Exploration in Melanoma

Collaboration Saves Lives: Managing irAEs is a "Dynamic Discussion"

Dr. Hamid on the FDA Approval of Pembrolizumab in Merkel Cell Carcinoma

Dr. Hamid on the Inclusion of Patients With Brain Metastases on Melanoma Trials