Development of immuno oncology drugs from CTLA4 to PD1 to the next generations
Since the regulatory approval of ipilimumab in 2011, the field of cancer immunotherapy has been experiencing a renaissance. This success is based on progress in both preclinical and clinical science, including the development of new methods of investigation. Immuno oncology has become a sub specialty within oncology owing to its unique science and its potential for substantial and long term clinical benefit. Immunotherapy agents do not directly attack the tumour but instead mobilize the immune system this can be achieved through various approaches that utilize adaptive or innate immunity. Therefore, immuno oncology drug development encompasses a broad range of agents, including antibodies, peptides, proteins, small molecules, adjuvants, cytokines, oncolytic viruses, bi specific molecules and cellular therapies. This Perspective summarizes the recent history of cancer immunotherapy, including the factors that led to its success, provides an overview of novel drug development considerations, summarizes three generations of immunotherapies that have been developed since 2011 and, thus, illustrates the breadth of opportunities these new generations of immunotherapies represent.
Nature Reviews Drug Discovery