Speakers:
- Natalie Sacks, MD, the chief medical officer at Aduro Biotech
- Evan Alley, MD, PhD, the chief of the Division of Hematology and Oncology at Penn Medicine
Drs. Sacks and Alley discussed Aduro Biotech’s upcoming clinical trial, which seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of their CRS-207 vaccine in combination with pembrolizumab (Keytruda) in previously treated patients with pleural mesothelioma. CRS-207 is a weakened form of the Listeria bacteria modified to reduce its ability to cause infections, but still able to stimulate the immune system. Pemborlizumab (Keytruda) is a checkpoint inhibitor. Both drugs have singularly demonstrated activity in mesothelioma and preclinical data suggests a synergy in using a combined approach.