A Study Investigating SGI-110 in Combination With Ipilimumab in Unresectable or Metastatic Melanoma Patients

Epigenetic alterations play a pivotal role in cancer development and progression. Pharmacologic reversion of such alterations is feasible, and second generation "epigenetic drugs" are in development and have demonstrated to possess significant immunomodulatory properties. This knowledge, together with the availability of new and highly effective immuno-therapeutic agents including immune check-point(s) blocking monoclonal antibodies, allows us to plan for highly innovative proof-of-principle combination studies that will likely open the path to more effective anti-cancer therapies. Targeting immune check-point(s) with immunomodulatory monoclonal antibody (mAb) is a novel and rapidly evolving strategy to treat cancer, that is rapidly spreading to different tumor histologies. The prototype approach of this therapeutic modality relies on the inhibition of negative signals delivered by CTLA-4 expressed on T lymphocytes. CTLA-4 blockade has profoundly changed the therapeutic landscape of metastatic melanoma (MM), significantly improving the survival of MM patients; however, objective clinical responses are limited, and only a minority of patients achieves long-term disease control.1 Therefore, several combination approaches are being explored to improve the efficacy of CTLA-4 blockade. Along this line, based on the preclinical evidence the investigators gained on the broad immunomodulatory activity of SGI-110, the exploratory phase 1 combination study NIBIT-M4 has been designed to provide proof-of-concept evidence to the immunologic and clinical efficacy of CTLA-4 blockade combined with DNA-HypomethylatingAgent (DHA). Progressing Stage III or Stage IV MM patients, amenable to serial tumor biopsies will be enrolled in the study.