head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) tumors are highly immunogenic and have elevated expression of immune checkpoint modulators. As such, there has been much interest in the development of immunotherapies to allow for targeted treatment programs. 

Erbitux, once among the dominant branded systemic therapies for head and neck cancer, is being eclipsed by newer checkpoint inhibitors. Erbitux is approved for use in combination with radiation therapy to treat patients with unresectable HNSCC and both first- and second-line recurrent/metastatic HNSCC as a single agent and alongside chemotherapy. 

Following the success of the JUPITER-02 trial and the failure of Keytruda’s KEYNOTE-122 study, Shanghai Junshi’s PD-1 antibody toripalimab stands to become one of the first targeted agents launched in nasopharyngeal cancer, and the company’s first approved drug in a Western market. Akeso’s penpulimab is another Chinese-developed PD-1 antibody currently under FDA regulatory review for nasopharyngeal cancer, with an approval decision due before the end of 2021. 

This Datamonitor Healthcare report contains a Disease Analysis module.