Adding first-line PD-1 inhibition to anti-VEGF and XELOX in pMMR metastatic colorectal cancer: Steppingstones, stumbling blocks, and next phase

In the randomized, double-blind, multicenter study by Wang et al.,1 the addition of serplulimab (a PD-1 antibody) to anti-VEGF (HLX04; a bevacizumab biosimilar) together with chemotherapy (XELOX) was deemed to be tolerable and safe and may improve progression-free survival. However, even if adverse events were comparable, oncological endpoints including survival need to be confirmed in the next phase 3 study.