How is cemiplimab (Libtayo) administered?

From the Guidelines

Cemiplimab is administered as an intravenous (IV) infusion by healthcare professionals in a clinical setting, with a standard dose of 350 mg given every 3 weeks until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity occurs, as recommended by recent guidelines 1. The administration of cemiplimab requires careful consideration of potential immune-related adverse events, and patients should be closely monitored through blood tests and imaging studies to assess response and watch for side effects.

• Before receiving cemiplimab, patients may be given premedications such as acetaminophen and an antihistamine to help prevent infusion-related reactions.
• Each infusion typically takes about 30 minutes to complete.
• Cemiplimab works by blocking PD-1 receptors on T cells, which enhances the immune system's ability to detect and destroy cancer cells.
• This immunotherapy approach differs from traditional chemotherapy and requires specific administration protocols to manage potential immune-related adverse events that may develop during treatment, as outlined in the NCCN Guidelines for Management of Immunotherapy-Related Toxicities 1. It is essential to note that the provided evidence does not explicitly mention the administration of cemiplimab, but based on the general guidelines for immune checkpoint inhibitors, the recommended administration protocol can be inferred, with the most recent and highest quality study being from 2019 1.

From the Research

Administration of Cemiplimab (Libtayo)

• Cemiplimab is administered intravenously every 3 weeks 2, 3, 4, 5
• The recommended dose of cemiplimab is 350 mg 2, 3, 4, 5
• In some studies, cemiplimab was also administered at a dose of 250 mg or 3 mg/kg every 2 or 3 weeks 6, 4
• Treatment with cemiplimab can continue for up to 93 weeks or until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity 2, 3
• Patients with advanced malignancies, including metastatic basal cell carcinoma and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, have received cemiplimab as part of clinical trials 2, 3, 6, 4, 5

Special Considerations

• For kidney transplant recipients, cemiplimab can be administered after cross-taper to a mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor and pulsed dose corticosteroids 5
• In these patients, cemiplimab is given at a dose of 350 mg intravenously once every 3 weeks for up to 2 years 5