Correlates of response and outcomes with talimogene laherperpvec

Abstract

Background and Objectives Patients with in‐transit or limited cutaneous metastatic melanoma may benefit from intralesional injections with talimogene laherparepvec (TVEC), a modified oncolytic herpesvirus. However, its use in patients with adverse prognostic scores in a real‐life clinical setting has not been studied. Methods We performed a two‐center retrospective analysis of 40 patients with metastatic melanoma treated with TVEC from 2015–2017. Demographics, overall response, and survival after therapy were noted. Results Overall, there was a durable response rate of 40%; median progression‐free survival (PFS) was 10.5 months and median overall survival (OS) was not reached. Bulky disease was associated with decreased OS (15.7 months vs not reached, P < .05) and mPFS (2.3 months vs not reached, P < .05), when compared with smaller tumors. Poor performance status (ECOG 2–3) was associated with worse OS (10.2 months vs not reached, P < .05) and PFS (2.1 months vs not reached, P < .05) compared to patients with ECOG 0–1. There was no difference in the outcomes with age greater than 75 or with prior therapies. Adverse events were relatively tolerable. Conclusions These findings demonstrate that TVEC is an effective and safe treatment for metastatic melanoma in a real‐life clinical setting, and suggest parameters to aid in appropriate therapy selection for optimal response.