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Jonathan Spicer: Why is CM816 so important?

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Jun 5, 2025, 07:54

Jonathan Spicer: Why is CM816 so important?

Jonathan Spicer, Medical Director of the McGill Thoracic Oncology Program, shared a post on X:

“Why is CM816 so important? After Patrick Forde beautiful presentation of these revolutionary data, let’s dig into why this unique trial should shake up our vision for oncology research…

1. A purely systemic regimen leading to cytotoxic/immunogenic cell death that results in a complete locoregional ablation of disease, followed by surgery cures cancer. Nobody died of cancer. That’s about as good as it gets.

2. This effect is driven by a reduction in metastatic burden which implies a complete response in micro metastatic disease. Now, the most common form of recurrence after this regimen is locoregional recurrence!

Jonathan Spicer: Why is CM816 so important?

3. What is the role of surgery? Is surgery diagnostic of a cure that has already occurred? Does it reset the clock for the others or does it effectively cure a good portion of those with residual disease? There is a vast landscape to explore for surgeons.

4. What are the implications for metastatic disease? Are benefits of ICI mediated by those who achieve a PCR after a few doses unbeknownst to their oncologists? Should duration of treatment be re-examined? Could local consolidation offer longer treatment-free intervals and shorter courses of systemic Tx?

5. Perhaps most important is that these data point to the imperative of exploring neoadjuvant trial designs aimed to optimize rates of PCR. To do so, we need tools to identify patients with micromet disease early and matching their biology with the treatment most likely to eradicate disease completely. This means that trials of systemic Tx + surgery are the optimal platform for efficient drug development to bring about a maximal number of cures with the least possible treatment, leading to the greatest understanding of who benefits most and why such treatments might fail others.”