Camrelizumab (SHR-1210, AiRuiKa™; Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine Co; Lianyungang, China) is a novel programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) inhibitor that recently received approval in China for the treatment of relapsed or refractory (R/R) classical Hodgkin lymphoma.[1][2]
Camrelizumab was first approved in China in May 2019, being the third domestic PD-1 antibody to reach the local market. Following the initial approval, camrelizumab received three additional indications from the Chinese National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), including hepatocellular carcinoma, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, and non-small cell lung cancer.
According to Chinese media reports, camrelizumab generated around RMB (¥) 2 billion (U.S. $ 290 million) during the first half of 2020, making it the leading PD-1 on the local market, outperforming pembrolizumab (Keytruda®; Merck Sharp & Dohme/MSD).
Ongoing studies
Researchers at Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine are also studying the camrelizumab as a potential treatment for various other malignancies, including B cell lymphoma, gastric/gastroesophageal junction cancer, and nasopharyngeal cancer.
An interim analysis from the Phase III CAPTAIN-1st study for camrelizumab in combination with cisplatin plus gemcitabine showed a manageable toxicity profile and demonstrated a significantly prolonged progression-free survival (pPFS), the primary endpoint, in first-line treatment of recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) (in treatment-naïve) patients.
Clinical trials
Anti-PD-1 Antibody Alone or in Combination With Decitabine/Chemotherapy in Relapsed or Refractory Malignancies – NCT02961101
A Study to Evaluate the Safety and Tolerability of Using the SHR-1210 by Advanced Solid Tumor Subjects – NCT02721589
SHR-1210 Alone or in Combination With Decitabine in Relapsed or Refractory Hodgkin Lymphoma – NCT03250962
Camrelizumab Combined With Albumin-bound Paclitaxel and Cisplatin in Neoadjuvant Treatment of Resectable NSCLC – NCT04338620
A Study to Evaluate SHR-1210 in Subjects With Advanced HCC – NCT02989922
Reference
[1] Markham A, Keam SJ. Camrelizumab: First Global Approval [published correction appears in Drugs. 2019 Aug 24;:]. Drugs. 2019;79(12):1355-1361. doi:10.1007/s40265-019-01167-0
[2] Nie J, Wang C, Liu Y, et al. Addition of Low-Dose Decitabine to Anti-PD-1 Antibody Camrelizumab in Relapsed/Refractory Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma. J Clin Oncol. 2019;37(17):1479-1489. doi:10.1200/JCO.18.02151
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