Reassuring Data on Anti-PD-1 Therapy in People with HIV and Malignancy

Immunotherapy, such as anti-PD-1 antibody, has revolutionized the treatment of many cancers. People with HIV, however, were excluded from clinical trials of many immunotherapeutic agents, in part because of uncertainty regarding immunotherapy's safety and efficacy in this population. Now, investigators with the Cancer Immunotherapy Trials Network report the results of an open-label study of pembrolizumab, an anti-PD-1 antibody, in people with HIV and malignancy. The trial was sponsored by the National Cancer Institute and the manufacturer. All participants had to be on antiretroviral therapy with HIV RNA <200 copies/mL and CD4 cell count ≥100/mm³.

Among the 30 participants, cancers included Kaposi sarcoma (KS; n=6), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (n=5…