FDA approves combination Opdivo + Yervoy to treat intermediate- and poor-risk advanced renal cell carcinoma.- BMS.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company has announced that Opdivo (nivolumab) 3 mg/kg plus Yervoy (ipilimumab) 1 mg/kg (injections for intravenous use) was approved by the FDA as the first Immuno-Oncology combination therapy for previously untreated patients with intermediate- and poor-risk advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

In the Phase III CheckMate -214 clinical trial, the Opdivo + Yervoy combination demonstrated a significant and unprecedented increase in overall survival (OS) in this patient population compared to a current standard of care, sunitinib. An OS benefit was observed regardless of PD-L1 expression level. Opdivo + Yervoy also delivered durable responses, with a higher objective response rate (ORR) compared to sunitinib. Patients in the CheckMate -214 trial received four cycles of the Opdivo + low-dose Yervoy combination, followed by Opdivo maintenance therapy. In the combination arm of the trial, 79% of patients received all four doses of Opdivo + Yervoy and went on to the Opdivo monotherapy phase. Flexible dosing options are available during the Opdivo maintenance phase (480 mg infused every four weeks or 240 mg infused every two weeks).