Combining NeoVax, A Personalized Neoantigen Vaccine, with Ipilimumab to Treat Advanced Clear Cell Renal Carcinoma

Summary:

Renal Cell carcinoma, a type of kidney cancer, is one of the ten most common cancers and the incidence is increasing. Between 20 to 30% of patients initially present with metastatic disease, which is generally incurable. While newer therapies have provided significant clinical benefit for patients with metastatic disease, tumor responses are not durable, and most patients relapse and eventually succumb to the disease. Neoantigens are proteins that form on cancer cells when certain mutations occur in tumor DNA. This study aims to target cancer via a personalized neoantigen vaccine in combination with ipilimumab, an immune checkpoint inhibitor. These agents will work in a synergistic manner where the personalized neoantigen will train immune cells to recognize and target each person’s unique neoantigens and ipilimumab will block cancer cells’ ability to hide from immune cells.

Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02950766