Double Trouble: Immunotherapy Doublets in Melanoma—Approved and Novel Combinations to Optimize Treatment in Advanced Melanoma

Abstract

Immune checkpoint inhibitors, particularly anti–PD-1–based immune checkpoint inhibitors, have dramatically improved outcomes for patients with advanced melanoma and are currently deemed a standard of care. Ipilimumab/nivolumab is the first combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors to improve progression-free survival and overall survival in the first-line setting, with durable responses and the longest median overall survival, 72.1 months, of any drug therapy approved for advanced melanoma. However, its use is limited by the high rate of severe (grade 3–4) treatment-related adverse events. More recently, the novel immune checkpoint inhibitor combination of nivolumab/relatlimab (anti–PD-1/anti-LAG3) showed improved progression-free survival compared with nivolumab alone in the first-line setting and was well tolerated; thus, it is likely this combination will be added to the armamentarium as a first-line treatment for advanced melanoma. These changes in the treatment landscape have several treatment implications for decision-making. The choice of first-line systemic drug therapy, and the decision between immune checkpoint inhibitor monotherapy or combination therapy, requires a comprehensive assessment of disease-related factors and patient characteristics. Despite this striking progress, many patients' disease still progresses. Several new agents and therapeutic approaches are under investigation in clinical trials. Intralesional treatments hold promise for accessible metastases, although their broad application in the clinic will be limited. Prognostic and predictive biomarkers, as well as strategies to reduce treatment-related toxicities and overcome resistance, are required and are now the focus of clinical and translational research.