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. 2023 Mar 14;11(3):e005920. doi: 10.1136/jitc-2022-005920

Table 1.

Illustrative FDA-approved indications for ICIs in combination with chemotherapy as of 2022

Indication FDA-approved combination Dosing scheme
Billiary tract cancer Durvalumab + gemcitabine and cisplatin ICI + chemotherapy (8 cycles) → ICI maintenance until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity
HNSCC Pembrolizumab + platinum-containing chemotherapy and FU ICI + chemotherapy (6 cycles) → ICI maintenance for up to 2 years
Cervical cancer Pembrolizumab + platinum-based chemotherapy (with or without bevacizumab) Continuous for up to 2 years of the ICI
GEJ and esophageal cancer Pembrolizumab + fluoropyrimidine and platinum-containing chemotherapy ICI + chemotherapy (6 cycles) → ICI + fluoropyrimidine maintenance
Gastric, GEJ, and esophageal cancer Nivolumab + fluoropyrimidine and platinum-containing chemotherapy Continuous for up to 2 years of the ICI
NSCLC (non-squamous) Pembrolizumab + pemetrexed and platinum-containing chemotherapy ICI + chemotherapy (4 cycles) → ICI + pemetrexed maintenance
NSCLC (squamous) Pembrolizumab + carboplatin and (nab)-paclitaxel ICI + chemotherapy (4 cycles) → ICI maintenance for up to 2 years
NSCLC (any histology) Cemiplimab + histology-appropriate chemotherapy ICI + chemotherapy (4 cycles) → chemotherapy maintenance
NSCLC (resectable) Nivolumab + platinum doublet chemotherapy ICI + chemotherapy (3 cycles) → optional adjuvant chemotherapy or radiotherapy
SCLC Atezolizumab + carboplatin and etoposide ICI + chemotherapy (4 cycles) → ICI maintenance until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity
Durvalumab + cisplatin or carboplatin and etoposide ICI + chemotherapy (4 cycles) → ICI maintenance until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity
TNBC (advanced, PD-L1+CPS >10) Pembrolizumab + chemotherapy* Continuous for up to 2 years of the ICI
TNBC
(perioperative)
Pembrolizumab + chemotherapy* Neoadjuvant ICI + chemotherapy (24 weeks)
→ surgery → adjuvant ICI (up to 27 weeks, disease recurrence, or unacceptable toxicity)

Continuous dosing refers to combinations that are administered as both agents until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, or a predefined time interval.

*Label indication does not specify the chemotherapy backbone. In the registration trials for pembrolizumab, patients received nab-paclitaxel, paclitaxel, or gemcitabine and carboplatin with pembrolizumab.

CPS, combined positive score; FDA, Food and Drug Administration; FU, fluorouracil; GEJ, gastroesophageal junction; HNSCC, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma; ICI, immune checkpoint inhibitor; nab, nanoparticle albumin-bound; NSCLC, non-small cell lung cancer; PD-L1, programmed death ligand-1; SCLC, small cell lung cancer; TNBC, triple-negative breast cancer.