dinutuximab beta + aldesleukin

Dinutuximab beta plus aldesleukin (interleukin-2) is an immunotherapy combination used for the treatment of high-risk neuroblastoma. Dinutuximab beta (Qarziba) is a chimeric monoclonal IgG1 antibody produced in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells that targets the disialoganglioside GD2, which is highly expressed on neuroblastoma cells. Aldesleukin is a recombinant human interleukin-2 (IL-2) cytokine that stimulates the proliferation and activation of immune effector cells, such as natural killer (NK) cells and T lymphocytes, to enhance antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) against GD2-expressing tumor cells. While the combination has been evaluated in clinical trials (such as the phase III HR-NBL1/SIOPEN trial) for high-risk and relapsed/refractory neuroblastoma, clinical evidence has shown that adding subcutaneous IL-2 to dinutuximab beta increases toxicity without improving event-free survival, leading to recommendations to administer dinutuximab beta without IL-2 in first-line maintenance settings. However, the combination remains indicated or used in certain relapsed/refractory settings.