Long-Term Durable Responses to Cemiplimab Seen in Advanced CSCC
Of four patients receiving retreatment with cemiplimab, three remained progression-free at data cutoff
By Dermsquared Editorial Team | December 12, 2025
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 10, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC), long-term durable responses are seen with cemiplimab, according to a study published online Nov. 28 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Catherine Bennett, M.B.Ch.B., from the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, Australia, and colleagues examined outcomes for patients in Australia treated in phase 2 of the EMPOWER-CSCC-1 study, which established the programmed cell death protein-1 inhibitor cemiplimab as standard of care for patients with locally advanced or metastatic CSCC, beyond trial protocol follow-up. Patients who progressed after completing fixed-duration treatment received cemiplimab retreatment.
Fifty-four patients were identified, with a median follow-up of 77 months. The researchers found that five-year duration of response was 65 percent among the 39 responders (72 percent). The median progression-free survival was 56.4 months, while median overall survival was not reached; the five-year progression-free and overall survival was 48 and 60 percent, respectively. Three of the four patients receiving retreatment with cemiplimab remained progression-free at data cutoff.
"Our study with the longest reported follow-up demonstrates patients in Australia with advanced CSCC responding to cemiplimab have durable responses, with the majority of progression occurring within three years of treatment initiation," the authors write.
Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry, including Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, which manufactures cemiplimab and endorsed this study.