Thanks for posting, Jbain. I like this part, as it is a 'small' ray of hope, though definitely not an explicit connection, PPHM appears to be on the right track to getting a foot in the door.
Pg. 22
"Scientists are also learning that other immune cells, besides T
cells, have checkpoints, and drugs targeting these molecules are
in development as well.
Checkpoint inhibitors can also be combined for a greater effect.
Several clinical trials, spearheaded by CRI associate director
Jedd D. Wolchok, M.D., Ph.D., have shown that the combination of
Yervoy and Opdivo in patients with metastatic melanoma results in
higher overall response rates and improved survival. In one study,
the 2-year survival rate was 88 percent, compared to about 15
percent for chemotherapy. The combination was approved by the
FDA in 2015 (Figure 18).
As impressive as the early experience with checkpoint blockade
has been, there is still much more work that needs to be done.
There is an urgent need to understand why only a subset of
patients responds to these therapies, and to generate alternative
treatments that work for the non-responders (Table 8). "