The Great Debate at 'Immunotherapy Bridge', Naples, December 5, 2019.

As part of the 2019 Immunotherapy Bridge congress (December 4-5, Naples, Italy), the Great Debate session featured counterpoint views from leading experts on six topical issues in immunotherapy today. These were the use of chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy in solid tumors, whether the Immunoscore should be more widely used in clinical practice, whether antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity is important in the mode of action of anticytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 antibodies, whether the brain is immunologically unique or just another organ, the role of microbiome versus nutrition in affecting responses to immunotherapy, and whether chemotherapy is immunostimulatory or immunosuppressive. Discussion of these important topics are summarized in this report.
Competing Interests: Competing interests: PAA: consultant/advisory role for Bristol Myers-Squibb, Roche-Genentech, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Array, Novartis, Merck Serono, Pierre Fabre, Incyte, NewLink Genetics, Genmab, Medimmune, AstraZeneca, Syndax, SunPharma, Sanofi, Idera, Ultimovacs, Sandoz, Immunocore, 4SC, Alkermes, Italfarmaco, Nektar. He also received research funds from Bristol Myers-Squibb, Roche-Genentech, Array, and travel support from MSD. CB: scientific advisory/consulting for PrimeVax; research support: Heat Biologics. JG: co-founder and chairman of the scientific advisory board: HalioDx; collaborative Research Agreement (grants): Perkin-Elmer, IO Biotech, MedImmune, Janssen, Imcheck Therapeutics; participation to Scientific Advisory Boards: BMS, MedImmune, AstraZeneca, Novartis, Definiens, Merck Serono, IO Biotech, ImmunID, Nanostring, Illumina, Northwest Biotherapeutics, Actelion, Amgen, CatalYm, Merck MSD; Consultant: BMS, Roche, GSK, Compugen, Mologen, Gilead, Sanofi. CG: honoraria: Amgen, BMS, CeCaVa, MSD, NeraCare, Novartis, Philogen, Pierre Fabre, Roche, Sanofi; research grants: BMS, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi. SNK: advisory board/board member: Northwest Bio, UbiVac, Syndax Pharmaceuticals, PDS Biotechnology, KAHR, AratingaBio INC, IO Biotechnology, CanImGuide Therapeutics, Bioline Therapeutics, McKinsey Cancer Center, McKinsey and Company, Incyte, Cancer Panel, LLC Advaxis Immunetherapies; KOL/Consultant: J&J, AstraZeneca, NewLink Genetics, Medimmune, Lycera, Berringer Engelheim; unrestricted preclinical research funding: AstraZeneca, Bioline Therapeutics, Lycera, IO Biotech, Syndax, Biotechnologies. JMQ: funding: BMS, Merck. KO: in the past 2 years funding from: AstraZeneca, Tesaro Pharma; scientific advisory boards: Immunovaccine, Unleash Immuno-Oncolytics, Merck, Celsion, Truvax, Geneos, Triumvira; co-founder: Tactiva Therapeutics. HO: consultant for: Bristol-Myers Squibb, Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Gerson Lehrman Group, Amal Therapeutics, Agios Pharmaceuticals, Eureka Therapeutics, INC Research, LLC, LifeSci Capital, LLC; grant/research support from: Ono Pharmaceutical, Agios Pharmaceuticals and Midatech Pharma; inventor of: the H3.3K27M TCR, IL-13Ra2 (345-353:1A9V) peptide, EGFRvIII-CAR as well as Rheo-IL-12 for which an exclusive licensing agreement has been executed with Tmunity, Inc., Stemline, Inc., Novartis Pharma and Intrexon Corporation, respectively. CMP: Lycera, Ares Immunotherapy, Thermo Fisher, Obsidian Therapeutics. SAQ: funder of Achilles therapeutics; research funding: Tusk Therapeutics; scientific advisor: Achilles therapeutics, Tusk Therapeutics/Roche, Morphosys, Bicycle Therapeutics, Ioncturas. HAT: research funding and consulting fees listed below from the following sources: BMS, Novartis, Genentech/Roche, Merck, Array, Celgene, GSK. JT: research support from Kite/Gilead, Merck, BMS, Spectrum Pharmaceuticals; advisory board member/consultant for Kite/Gilead, BMS, Celgene. GT: declares he has not received funding or has relationships with subjects with commercial interests in the health field. LHB: scientific and medical advisory board: StemImmune/Calidi, SapVax, NextCure, Replimmune, Western Oncolytics, Torque Therapeutics, Khloris, Pyxis, Cytomix. IP: consultant, research funding to institutional Amgen, Nektar, ADC, Idera Pharmaceutical.
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