IMPROVED THERAPEUTIC INDEX OF INHIBITORS AGAINST AN IMMUNE CONTROL POINT USING COMBINED THERAPY, INCLUDING PHY906 EXTRACT, EXTRACT Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (S)
The present invention provides a method of treating melanoma and other cancers in a subject, the method comprising administering to the subject in need thereof a therapeutically effective amount of an herbal extract of PHY906 or Scutellaria baicalensis, a fraction thereof, or any active chemical present in the herbal extract or fraction thereof, and one or more immune checkpoint inhibitors. In certain embodiments, the method further comprises administering at least one herbal extract, a fraction thereof, or any active chemical present in the herbal extract or fraction thereof, of at least one herb selected from the group consisting of Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Paeonia lactiflora, and Ziziphus jujuba. The methods of the invention are useful for treating cancer such as melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, renal cell carcinoma, liver cancer, colon cancer, urothelial bladder cancer, and/or pancreatic cancer. In certain embodiments, administration of the herbal extracts of the invention counteract one or more gastrointestinal side effects of the immune checkpoint inhibitors and/or increase their therapeutic index against cancer.
