KRAS peptide vaccine + ipilimumab + nivolumab

This drug is a combination therapy consisting of a pooled mutant KRAS-targeted long peptide vaccine combined with two immune checkpoint inhibitors, ipilimumab and nivolumab. The KRAS peptide vaccine targets mutant KRAS neoantigens commonly found in cancers such as pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and mismatch repair-proficient colorectal cancer. It aims to stimulate an anti-tumor immune response by presenting these neoantigens to the immune system. Ipilimumab is an anti-CTLA-4 monoclonal antibody that enhances T-cell activation by blocking the CTLA-4 checkpoint receptor, thereby promoting immune system activity against tumors. Nivolumab is an anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody that blocks the PD-1 receptor on T cells, preventing tumor-induced immunosuppression and enhancing T-cell mediated tumor cell killing. The combination leverages the vaccine’s ability to prime T cells against mutant KRAS antigens along with dual checkpoint blockade from ipilimumab and nivolumab to overcome tumor immune evasion mechanisms. This approach is under clinical investigation primarily for resected pancreatic cancer and mismatch repair-proficient colorectal cancer patients at high risk or with chemorefractory disease[1][2][3][7].

Brand names

Yervoy (ipilimumab)Opdivo (nivolumab)