| Home > Publications database > Tebentafusp—the first drug with a significant and persistent survival benefit in metastatic uveal melanoma.[Tebentafusp – erstes Medikament mit signifikantem und andauerndem Überlebensvorteil beim metastasierten Uveamelanom.] |
| Journal Article | DKFZ-2025-01026 |
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2025
Springer
Heidelberg
Abstract: Uveal melanoma, also known as choroidal melanoma, is a rare form of melanoma that arises from pigment cells of the eye, primarily the choroid. It can also affect the iris or the ciliary body and often metastasizes to distant sites, primarily the liver. In contrast to other types of melanoma, uveal melanoma responds poorly to treatment with checkpoint inhibitors; it is thus associated with a worse prognosis. The new immunotherapeutic tebentafusp, however, is a promising treatment option for patients with human leukocyte antigen (HLA) type A*02:01. Tebentafusp is a bispecific protein that specifically recognizes a peptide of the melanocyte differentiation antigen gp100 and activates T cells. This leads to polyclonal activation of T cells in the tumor environment and antitumor immune defense. A phase III trial has shown that tebentafusp significantly improves the overall survival of patients with metastatic uveal melanoma in comparison to other treatments. After 3 years, 27% of tebentafusp-treated patients were still alive, compared to 18% in the control arm. Median overall survival was 21.6 months in the tebentafusp group and 16.9 months in the control arm. Adverse effects of tebentafusp treatment include cytokine release syndrome with symptoms like fever and hypotension as well as skin reactions like exanthem and itching. These occur mainly during the first three applications, which is why the dose is gradually increased and the first treatments are administered on an inpatient basis. Tebentafusp thus represents the first effective immunotherapy for patients with metastatic uveal melanoma; however, experience and an inpatient setting are required for treatment induction. Current studies are investigating other goals and tebentafusp’s use in other HLA types as well as adjuvant therapy after treatment of primary uveal melanoma.
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