Krista Rubin Breaks Down Best Practices With Tebentafusp for Uveal Melanoma

In this episode of The Vitals, Krista M. Rubin, RN, MS, FNP-BC, joins Oncology Nursing News® to discuss best nursing practices with tebentafusp-tebn (Kimmtrak) for patients with unresectable or metastatic uveal melanoma. Rubin is a nurse practitioner with the Center for Melanoma at Massachusetts General Hospital, with over 20 years of experience caring for patients with melanoma. She is also the chair of the Melanoma Nursing Initiative.

Tebentafusp was approved in January 2022 for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic uveal melanoma in adult patients whose disease harbors HLA-A*02:01. Findings from the phase 3 IMCgp100-202 trial (NCT03070392) showed that patients who received this agent experienced superior overall survival than patients who received investigators choice of therapy (HR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.37-0.71; P < .0001).

As Rubin highlights in the discussion, cytokine release syndrome and rash are some of the most common adverse events (AEs) observed with the bispecific antibody. A step-up dose is used to ease patients onto treatment. Patients are admitted to inpatient care for the first 3 infusions to observe their reactions; however, according to Rubin, after that third cycle, management of AEs becomes straightforward and if patients show positive responses, they can continue to receive a weekly dose indefinitely.

Episode Notes

The drug is it's intravenous; it is given in our outpatient clinic, however, patients are admitted to the hospital overnight. Time Stamp 6:37

If there was a serious case of CRS, then these patients would get medications, specifically tocilizumab, to minimize the effects. TS 7:38

With nurses that are able to proactively identify and know how to manage [AEs], patients can do extremely well. TS12:52

Oncology Nursing News® Online Articles:

• FDA Follow-Up: Utilizing Tebentafusp in Clinical Practice for Metastatic Uveal Melanoma
• FDA Approves Tebentafusp to Treat HLA-A*02:01 Positive Uveal Melanoma
• Tebentafusp Boosts Survival in Metastatic Uveal Melanoma

The Vitals Podcast:

• A Look Back at 2022 FDA Approvals in Oncology

Video Interviews

• Newly Approved Tebentafusp Requires Up-Front Active Toxicity Management in Melanoma
• More for Melanoma: Nurse Discusses Unmet Needs
• First-in-Human Trial for Tebentafusp In Advanced Melanoma Shows Promising Safety Profile