STELLAR-305 STUDY
Presented by Prof Nabil F. Saba (Winship Cancer Institute Emory University, Atlanta, USA)
The STELLAR 305 clinical trial is a phase 2/3 randomised study comparing pembrolizumab with placebo versus pembrolizumab with zanzalintinib. This study builds on phase 2 trial results using cabozantinib, a similar agent to zanzalintinib, which inhibits VEGF and other immune-based targets like the TAM family of receptors and the innate immune tumour microenvironment. These targets are crucial in head and neck cancer tumour evasion. The LEAP-10 trial, which combined lenvatinib with pembrolizumab, showed a positive overall response rate and progression-free survival, indicating the validity of this combination in head and neck cancer. Zanzalintinib is anticipated to be a better-tolerated VEGF-TKI. Based on the promising cabozantinib data, there is hope that the STELLAR 305 trial will influence future standards of care.
References:
Saba N. et al, ASCO2024 abstract # TPS6114
