Future Immunotherapies for Hematologic Malignancies

Future approaches to the management of hematologic malignancies will involve immunotherapy, states Ivan Marques Borrello, MD. Recent immunotherapy agents, such as elotuzumab in multiple myeloma and ipilimumab in melanoma, have induced long-tail responses, says Borrello. As a result, endpoints used in clinical trials may need to be reevaluated.

Immunotherapies may provide durable responses and allow clinicians to target aspects of disease that are drug-resistant, notes Madhav V. Dhodapkar, MD. Using an immunologic approach earlier in the disease process makes sense, this could include using immunotherapies in a preventive role, adds Dhodapkar.

Exploring immunotherapy in combination with chemotherapy may overcome resistance to chemotherapy, says Dan Douer, MD. Additionally, as biomarker research continues, genetic tests may be useful for identifying optimal candidates who will benefit from immunotherapy.