Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month: 2021 Immunotherapy Research Updates

At the American Society for Clinical Oncology Meeting earlier this year, we were excited to present new phase 2 clinical data from the CRI-funded PRINCE trial (Safety and Efficacy of APX005M With Gemcitabine and Nab-Paclitaxel With or Without Nivolumab in Patients With Previously Untreated Metastatic Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma).

Researchers from the trial centers, the Cancer Research Institute, and the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy emphasized two important takeaways:

• an observation of a clinical benefit in 1-year overall survival coupled with the standard of care gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel and sotigalimab
• the classification of a biomarker signature linked to sotigalimab to identify the best patients for sotigalimab

These findings will help steer future treatments and trial decisions for better outcomes for pancreatic cancer patients.

This November for Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, discover the latest treatments, research insights, and our impact on a future immune to pancreatic cancer.

Your Immunotherapy Questions Answered

Cancer patients and leading oncologists joined a liverly discussion across 14 informative sessions at the 2021 Virtual Immunotherapy Patient Summit on October 7–8, 2021. Learn about the immunotherapy treatment experience and gain valuable insight into how clinical trials work.

Watch the virtual summit recordings

Treatment Update for Pancreatic Cancer

The 2020 CRI Virtual Immunotherapy Patient Summit featured Dr. Elizabeth Jaffee of Johns Hopkins Medicine for an open discourse on immunotherapies in clinical trials for pancreatic cancer. The session began with Dr. Jaffee addressing the characteristics of pancreatic cancer and traversed into the future of immunotherapy, closing with a live Q&A from the audience.   

Pancreatic Cancer Patient Story

After being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2008 and having surgery to remove his tumor, Jesse joined a clinical trial for a cancer vaccine, GVAX, designed to produce GM-CSF, which can stimulate the immune system. He sustained the vaccine for five years and was declared cancer-free in 2014. 

Read Jesse’s cancer story

Pancreatic Cancer Scientist Spotlight

CRI Fellow Ryan K. Alexander, PhD, of Boston Children's Hospital is exploring a modular strategy for targeting pancreatic cancer with nanobody-based CAR T cells and macrophages.

Learn about Dr. Alexander’s Pancreatic Cancer Research

Immunotherapy for Pancreatic Cancer Info Update

CRI Scientific Advisory Council member Michael Karin, PhD, of the University of California, San Diego has been investigating autophagy blockade in the context of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). His recent studies, in combination with work by other researchers, point to a potential new therapeutic target for PDAC: macropinocytosis. As the research and treatment landscape evolves, we keep our information up to date.

View Pancreatic Cancer Update

Find a Pancreatic Cancer Clinical Trial

A variety of new and promising cancer immunotherapy treatments are only available to patients in clinical trials. Help speed the development of potentially lifesaving drugs. Discover trials for which you or a loved one may be eligible with the CRI Immunotherapy Clinical Trial Finder.

Find a Cancer Clinical Trial

Support Pancreatic Cancer Research

CRI Scientific Advisory Council member Robert Vonderheide, MD, DPhil, of the University of Pennsylvania co-authored a study in Nature Communications that shows promising anti-tumor activity against aggressive cancers controlled by the KRAS mutation. The research team developed a new technology for cellular immunotherapy that targets the KRAS mutation immunologically for patients with lung, colorectal, and pancreatic tumors. This research elucidates the need for neoantigens for targeting tumor cells for cellular therapy and cancer vaccines.

This Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, support lifesaving cancer immunotherapy research. 

Donate to Pancreatic Cancer Research