23 November 2022 |

Loma Linda University Cancer Center is offering a new immunotherapy treatment for those who suffer from a type of eye cancer called ocular or uveal melanoma. The treatment, called Tebentafusp-tebn, was approved by the FDA earlier this year.

“This is a welcome addition to our portfolio of medications and marks an exciting new advancement in this class of immunotherapy,” says John Y. Shin, MD, a medical oncologist at the Cancer Center, interviewed for Loma Linda’s news website.

The reason this type of treatment is effective is because of the technology’s ability to recognize two distinct molecules and bring them together. According to Loma Linda’s article:

Tebentafusp-tebn fits into a class of immunotherapy known as a bispecific T-cell engager, which utilizes novel technology to recognize two different types of molecules simultaneously. Shin says one “arm” of the immunotherapy binds to a protein called gp100, which is abundant on the surface of melanoma cells. Its other arm binds to immune cells called T cells, bringing them close to the melanoma cells. This proximity allows immune cells to attack and destroy the cancer cells, Shin says.

While there have been other immunotherapies used in the past, they were not as effective. Even though Tebentafusp-tebn does not cure the cancer completely, clinical trials show that it might help prolong a patient’s life for up to six months, and many patients are better off with it. For one patient highlighted by Loma Linda, the immunotherapy has stopped his case from progressing and he’s undergone 24 doses of the treatment without serious side effects.

According to Shin, “This treatment option’s capability to prolong life is meaningful for many with uveal melanoma. It’s hard to find new medicines for rare diseases like uveal melanoma so this immunotherapy is a welcome improvement in research.”

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