Immunotherapy and Neuroendocrine Neoplasms

Immunotherapy and Neuroendocrine Neoplasms

Updated 24th September 2025. Introduction There's a lot of Immunotherapy stuff out there!  The picture regarding its use in Neuroendocrine Neoplasms is not clear and there is no general roadmap printed.  I first heard of Immunotherapy for NETs following attendance at ENETS 2017 in Barcelona. The presentation that sticks out was one given by Dr Matthew Kulke, a well-known NET Specialist in Boston. My reaction to the presentation was one of 'expectation management' and caution i.e. it's too soon to know if we will get any success and when we will get it. He also hinted that it's more likely…
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Clinical Trial SPARTALIZUMAB  – Immunotherapy for Neuroendocrine Neoplasms (PDR001)

Clinical Trial SPARTALIZUMAB – Immunotherapy for Neuroendocrine Neoplasms (PDR001)

UpdateTrial complete.  Conclusion abstract - Single agent PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors have not demonstrated clinical utility in an unselected NET population and should not be used outside of clinical trials. The potential for PD-L1 inhibition in the thoracic cohort warrants further investigation.  Read more here. PDR001 (anti-PD-1) is an investigational immunotherapy being developed by Novartis to treat both solid tumors and lymphomas (cancers of the blood).  It is currently being trialled on many cancers including Neuroendocrine.  Its brand name is SPARTLIZUMAB.How PDR001 worksPDR001 is a type of immunotherapy, meaning that it acts by activating the body’s own immune system to recognize and fight…
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