BMS and Seattle Genetics move Adcetris (brentuximab vedotin) and Opdivo (nivolumab) combination into Phase III forclassical Hodgkin lymphoma .

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (BMS) and Seattle Genetics, Inc. announced that the companies have entered into a collaboration agreement to evaluate the combination of Bristol-Myers Squibb’s immunotherapy Opdivo and Seattle Genetics’ antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) Adcetris in a pivotal phase III clinical trial. The trial will evaluate the combination of Adcetris and Opdivo versus Adcetris alone as a potential treatment option for patients with relapsed/refractory or transplant-ineligible advanced classical Hodgkin lymphoma (HL).

Comment: Adcetris was approved by the FDA in 2011 as the first new therapeutic option for patients with Hodgkin lymphoma in more than 30 years. Adcetris has now become the standard of care for relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma, with more than 20,000 patients treated. Seattle Genetics and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited jointly develop Adcetris and under the terms of the collaboration agreement,Seattle Genetics has U.S. and Canadian commercialization rights and Takeda has rights to commercialize Adcetris in the rest of the world.