Single-center phase 2 study of neoadjuvant cadonilimab plus chemotherapy for locally advanced, resectable head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Cadonilimab is a PD-1/CTLA-4 bispecific antibody. A phase 2 trial at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center (Guangzhou, China) evaluated neoadjuvant cadonilimab plus docetaxel-cisplatin chemotherapy among patients with locally advanced resectable head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. The objective response rate was 83.3%, and the disease control rate was 100%. Major pathologic response rate was 76.7% and pathologic complete response rate was 50.0%. Grade 3 treatment-related adverse events occurred in 23.3%. Thirteen months after inclusion of the last patient, progression-free survival and overall survival data were not yet mature. The authors conclude that neoadjuvant cadonilimab plus chemotherapy demonstrated favorable ORR and MPR with manageable toxicities among patients with LA HNSCC.