Relatlimab: a novel drug targeting immune checkpoint LAG-3 in melanoma therapy

Jingjing Su; Yiting Fu; Zitong Cui; Zain Abidin; Jingsong Yuan; Xinmiao Zhang; Runmin Li; Chunzhen Zhao

doi:10.3389/fphar.2023.1349081

Relatlimab: a novel drug targeting immune checkpoint LAG-3 in melanoma therapy

Front Pharmacol. 2024 Jan 10:14:1349081. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1349081. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Jingjing Su^#¹, Yiting Fu^#¹, Zitong Cui^#¹, Zain Abidin², Jingsong Yuan¹, Xinmiao Zhang¹, Runmin Li¹, Chunzhen Zhao¹

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology and Translational Medicine and Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China.
² Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY, United States.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Relatlimab is a type of human immunoglobulin G4 monoclonal blocking antibody. It is the world's first Lymphocyte-Activation Gene-3 (LAG-3) inhibitor and the third immune checkpoint inhibitor with clinical application, following PD-1 and CTLA-4. Relatlimab can bind to the LAG-3 receptor which blocks the interaction between LAG-3 and its ligand to reduce LAG-3 pathway-mediated immunosuppression and promote T-cell proliferation, inducing tumor cell death. On 18 March 2022, the U.S. FDA approved the fixed-dose combination of relatlimab developed by Bristol Myers Squibb with nivolumab, under the brand name Opdualag for the treatment of unresectable or metastatic melanoma in adult and pediatric patients aged 12 and older. This study comprehensively describes the mechanism of action and clinical trials of relatlimab and a brief overview of immune checkpoint drugs currently used for the treatment of melanoma.

Keywords: LAG-3 inhibitor; immune checkpoint; metastatic melanoma; nivolumab; relatlimab.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was supported by student innovation and entrepreneurship training program project from Weifang Medical University (X2023198, X2023576), project of higher educational science and technology program of Shandong province (J17KA256), and graduate education quality improvement plan project of Shandong province (SDYKC19161).