“The key thing about this trial is that while the overall study was negative, subset analysis suggests that the patients who appear to benefit from ipilimumab have better prognostic factors, including no visceral disease, lower alkaline phosphatase, and elevated hemoglobin,” commented James
Gulley, MD, PhD, Chief of the Clinical Immunotherapy Section and Chief of the Genitourinary Malignancies Branch at the National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland.

“These prognostic factors are consistent with patients earlier in the course of their disease. Eyes will be on the trial just launched in the earlier patient population that excludes visceral metastases,” Dr. Gulley said. ■

Disclosure: Dr. Gulley reported no potential conflicts of interest.