Dr. Wang-Gillam on Next Steps With Defactinib Combo in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Andrea Wang-Gillam, MD, PhD, associate professor, Department of Medicine, Oncology Division of Molecular Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, discusses potential next steps with a novel combination regimen in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).

A recent phase 1 study (NCT02546531) evaluated the investigational FAK inhibitor in combination with pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and gemcitabine. The findings demonstrated signs of efficacy in the maintenance and relapsed/refractory settings in patients with metastatic PDAC.

As such, expanding this study in the maintenance setting appears to be a rational next step, says Wang-Gillam. Specifically, as the triplet was well tolerated, the regimen could have utility for patients who received a chemotherapy doublet in the frontline setting, or in combination with other agents in the frontline setting, concludes Wang-Gillam.