Use of glucocorticoid receptor modulators to potentiate checkpoint inhibitors

1. A method for reducing tumor load in a patient hosting a tumor, the method effective to potentiate the activity of the antibody checkpoint inhibitor effective to provide superior tumor load reduction as compared to the tumor load reduction that would be provided by said antibody checkpoint inhibitor alone, comprising:

administering to said patient hosting a tumor a therapeutic amount of the antibody checkpoint inhibitor and between about 10 milligrams (mg) to about 1000 mg per day of a selective glucocorticoid receptor antagonist (SGRA) effective to provide tumor load reduction at least 10% greater than the tumor load reduction provided by the antibody checkpoint inhibitor alone,

wherein the antibody checkpoint inhibitor is selected from lambrolizumab, nivolumab, AMP-224, pidilizumab, ipilimumab, tremelimumab, MEDI4736, MPDL3280A and BMS-936559 (MDX-1105),

wherein said SGRA is a compound that has a heteroaryl-ketone fused azadecalin backbone or an octahydro fused azadecalin backbone, and that binds the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) with a GR binding affinity that is at least ten-fold greater than its binding affinity for the mineralocorticoid receptor, said GR binding being able to inhibit GR-mediated activity, and

where the SGRA is administered in an amount effective to potentiate the activity of the antibody checkpoint inhibitor effective to provide at least 10% greater tumor load reduction in the patient as compared to the tumor load reduction provided by the antibody checkpoint inhibitor alone.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tumor load is due to the presence of a checkpoint inhibitor-sensitive tumor.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the checkpoint inhibitor is an antibody effective against PD-1 selected from lambrolizumab, nivolumab, AMP-224, and pidilizumab.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the checkpoint inhibitor is an antibody effective against CTLA-4 selected from ipilimumab and tremelimumab.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the checkpoint inhibitor is an antibody effective against PD-L1 or PD-L2 selected from MEDI4736, MPDL3280A and BMS-936559 (MDX-1105).

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the SGRA is CORT125134

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the SGRA is CORT125281

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the cancer expresses the glucocorticoid receptor (GR + ).

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the cancer is a GR + cancer and wherein the cancer is selected from the group consisting of breast cancer, prostate cancer, Melanoma, Sarcoma, Renal cell cancer, Head and Neck cancer, Hepatocellular cancer, Glioblastoma, Cervical cancer, neuroendocrine cancer, Bladder cancer, Prostate cancer, Esophageal cancer, mesothelioma, Lung cancer, Ovarian cancer, Pancreas cancer, Gall bladder cancer, Gastric cancer, Endometrial cancer, and colon cancer.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the SGRA is CORT125281 and the checkpoint inhibitor is an antibody effective against PD-1 selected from the group of anti-PD-1 antibody checkpoint inhibitors consisting of lambrolizumab, nivolumab, AMP-224, and pidilizumab.

11. The method of claim 6 wherein the SGRA is CORT125134 and the checkpoint inhibitor is an antibody effective against PD-1 selected from the group of anti-PD-1 antibody checkpoint inhibitors consisting of lambrolizumab, nivolumab, AMP-224, and pidilizumab.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the SGRA is CORT125281 or CORT125134 and the checkpoint inhibitor is an antibody effective against CTLA-4 selected from the group of anti-CTLA-4 antibody checkpoint inhibitors consisting of ipilimumab and tremelimumab.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the SGRA is CORT125281 or CORT125134 and the checkpoint inhibitor is an antibody effective against PDL-1 or PDL-2 selected from the group of anti-PD-L1 or anti-PD-L2 antibody checkpoint inhibitors consisting of MEDI4736, MPDL3280A and BMS-936559 (MDX-1105).