Toripalimab: First Global Approval

Toripalimab, a recombinant, humanized programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) monoclonal antibody that binds to PD-1 and prevents binding of PD-1 with programmed death ligands 1 (PD-L1) and 2 (PD-L2), is being developed by Shanghai Junshi Bioscience Co., Ltd in China for the treatment of various cancers. In December 2018, based on positive efficacy results of a phase 2 trial and safety data from several clinical studies, toripalimab received conditional approval in China for the treatment of unresectable or metastatic melanoma that has failed previous systemic therapy. This article summarizes the milestones in the development of toripalimab leading to this first global approval for the treatment of unresectable or metastatic melanoma.