Sumit Subudhi, MD, PhD,, Clinical Accelerator Investigator

Dr. Sumit Subudhi is an assistant professor in the department of genitourinary medical oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. He is the study chair of the clinical trial “Platform Study for Prostate Researching Translational Endpoints Correlated to Response to Inform Use of Novel Combinations (PORTER)” (NCT03835533).

This platform trial seeks to improve the efficiency of immunotherapy development by simultaneously evaluating combinations of the following treatments in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer:

• Nivolumab (Opdivo®), a checkpoint inhibitor that blocks the PD-1 pathway involved in T cell exhaustion
• NKTR-214, an immunomodulator that targets and activates the IL-2R pathway
• CDX-301, an immunomodulator that targets the Flt3 pathway to stimulate dendritic cell activity
• INO-5151, a DNA vaccine that encodes the PSA and PSMA prostate cancer proteins for the immune system to target while stimulating the production of the immune-boosting molecule IL-12
• Poly ICLC, an adjuvant commonly used with vaccines that promotes an immune system response
• Radiation therapy, which can both kill cancer cells directly and alert the immune system to the tumor’s presence

Prostate cancer is the second most common male cancer in the world and will impact an estimated one in every seven men at some point in their life. This cancer affects approximately 1.3 million people and kills an estimated 360,000 individuals each year – about 4% of all global cancer deaths. Though early stage prostate cancer is highly treatable, the 5-year survival rate for metastatic prostate cancer is less than 30%

Platform studies like PORTER allow investigators to pool their resources and thus accelerate the development of new drugs. Furthermore, the adaptive nature of such studies allows for mid-course corrections. As a result, ineffective treatment strategies can be stopped while new treatments are added to the trial. This ultimately allows patients to receive the most promising immunotherapy treatments without interruption.

Additional investigators working on this trial include:

• Julie Graff, MD, Oregon Health & Science University
• Kristopher Weintzel, MD, Angeles Clinic
• Karen Autio, MD, M.Sc., Memorial Sloan Kettering
• Larry Fong., MD, PhD, University of California, San Francisco
• Matt Galsky MD, Mount Sinai

Projects and Grants

Platform Study for Prostate Researching Translational Endpoints Correlated to Response to Inform Use of Novel Combinations (PORTER) (NCT03835533)

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center | Prostate Cancer | 2018