afatinib + toripalimab

Afatinib + toripalimab is a combination therapy being investigated for the treatment of advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) that is refractory to prior immune checkpoint inhibitors. This regimen combines **afatinib**, an irreversible tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) that targets the ErbB family of receptors (including EGFR, HER2, and HER4), with **toripalimab**, a humanized monoclonal antibody that targets the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) receptor. The rationale for this combination is to simultaneously inhibit oncogenic signaling pathways that drive tumor growth and survival while reactivating the immune system's anti-tumor response by blocking the PD-1/PD-L1 interaction. This specific cohort in clinical trials focuses on patients with high EGFR expression or activation of EGFR-related signaling pathways, aiming to overcome resistance to standard immunotherapy.

Brand names

Tuoyi

Other names

afatinib dimaleatetoripalimab-tpzi