Mesothelioma: a systemic therapy clinical trials snapshot

Mesothelioma is a rare cancer that has seen few incremental improvements in survival over the past two decades. However, a significantly improved understanding of the underlying biology has led to new therapeutic advances with the potential to improve clinical outcomes. In this review, we take a snapshot of the current systemic therapy research landscape, with our goal to forecast the trajectory of drug development for mesothelioma over the next half-decade. In our current census, we identify 106 active trials including systemic therapies: 20 (19%) are molecularly targeted, 26 (25%) include immunomodulation, and 12 (11%) combining immunotherapy with antiangiogenic therapies. Collectively, the landscape of therapeutic innovation for mesothelioma is expanding, bringing hope that improvements in life expectancy may follow.