pembrolizumab + pexastimogene devacirepvec

pembrolizumab + pexastimogene devacirepvec is a combination immunotherapy regimen being investigated for the treatment of advanced malignancies, including colorectal carcinoma. Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) is a humanized monoclonal antibody that acts as a checkpoint inhibitor by binding to the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) receptor on T cells, blocking its interaction with ligands PD-L1 and PD-L2 to restore anti-tumor immune activity. Pexastimogene devacirepvec (Pexa-Vec, JX-594) is an oncolytic virus derived from a Wyeth strain vaccinia virus, engineered for tumor selectivity through thymidine kinase (TK) gene deletion and for immune stimulation through the insertion of the human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) transgene. The combination aims to leverage Pexa-Vec's ability to induce direct tumor cell lysis and promote an inflamed 'hot' tumor microenvironment, thereby enhancing the efficacy of pembrolizumab's checkpoint blockade. This approach is particularly relevant in colorectal cancer with liver metastases, where neoadjuvant and systemic applications are being explored to improve surgical outcomes and overall survival.

Brand names

Keytruda

Other names

Pexa-VecPexastimogene devacirepvec