Conversations With Cancer Experts About Novel Delivery Options With Checkpoint Inhibitors (ICIs)

Subcutaneous ICI products may offer significant time savings for patients, caregivers, and health care facilities with shorter compounding, administration, and chair time With multiple ICI therapies now approved for subcutaneous injection and more under development, it is vital for institutions to develop interprofessional/multidisciplinary approaches and workflows to integrate novel therapies  

SC products offer convenient and safe options for patients that may be preferred by patients Effective communication among interprofessional, multidisciplinary team and patients/caregivers is crucial to success and streamlining processes Training is required for providers and staff related to operational, clinical, and financial considerations of SC products

Atezolizumab and nivolumab are both FDA approved as SC products (pembrolizumab pending approval) Overall safety and efficacy of SC ICI products are similar to IV ICI counterpart therapies Patients receiving SC ICI may experience mild injection site reactions Clinical guidelines (NCCN) recommend

Immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) represent a significant breakthrough in the field of cancer over the last 10-15 years Multiple ICIs currently available as IV therapies (8 PD-1/PD-L1 agents approved since 2011 Robust survival benefit seen with ICI across multiple tumor types IV ICI therapy requires line access and creates increased chair time Subcutaneous (SC) ICI options provide increased pati...