tislelizumab + pemetrexed

Tislelizumab + pemetrexed is an investigational combination therapy being evaluated by West China Hospital for the treatment of leptomeningeal metastases in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This specific regimen is notable for the intrathecal administration of both agents, a method designed to bypass the blood-brain barrier and deliver therapeutic concentrations directly into the cerebrospinal fluid. Tislelizumab is a humanized IgG4 monoclonal antibody that acts as an immune checkpoint inhibitor by binding to the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) receptor, preventing it from interacting with its ligands (PD-L1 and PD-L2) and thereby restoring T-cell anti-tumor activity. Pemetrexed is a multi-targeted antifolate small molecule that inhibits three key enzymes in folate metabolism: thymidylate synthase (TS), dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), and glycinamide ribonucleotide formyltransferase (GARFT), leading to the disruption of DNA and RNA synthesis. The combination is currently being studied in a Phase 2, single-arm, open-label clinical trial.

Brand names

TevimbraAlimta

Other names

Intrathecal tislelizumab and pemetrexedTislelizumab plus pemetrexed