FDA approves first LAG-3-blocking antibody combination, Opdualag (nivolumab and relatlimab-rmbw), as treatment for unresectable or metastatic melanoma.-BMS
Bristol Myers Squibb announced that Opdualag (nivolumab and relatlimab-rmbw), a new, first-in-class, fixed-dose combination of nivolumab and relatlimab, administered as a single intravenous infusion, was approved by the FDA for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients 12 years of age or older with unresectable or metastatic melanoma.
The approval is based on the Phase II/III RELATIVITY-047 trial, which compared Opdualag (n=355) to nivolumab alone (n=359).
The trial met its primary endpoint, progression-free survival (PFS), and Opdualag more than doubled the median PFS when compared to nivolumab monotherapy, 10.1 months (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 6.4 to 15.7) versus 4.6 months (95% CI: 3.4 to 5.6); (Hazard Ratio [HR] 0.75; 95% CI: 0.62 to 0.92, P=0.0055). The Opdualag safety profile was similar to that previously reported for nivolumab. No new safety events were identified with the combination when compared to nivolumab monotherapy. Grade 3/4 drug-related adverse events were 18.9% in the Opdualag arm compared to 9.7% in the nivolumab arm. Drug-related adverse events leading to discontinuation were 14.6% in the Opdualag arm compared to 6.7% in the nivolumab arm.
“Since the approval of the first immune checkpoint inhibitor more than 10 years ago, we’ve seen immunotherapy, alone and in combination, revolutionize the treatment of patients with advanced melanoma,” said F. Stephen Hodi, M.D., director of the Melanoma Center and the Center for Immuno-Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. “Today’s approval is particularly significant, as it introduces an entirely new combination of two immunotherapies that may act together to help improve anti-tumor response by targeting two different immune checkpoints — LAG-3 and PD-1.”
Lymphocyte activation gene-3 (LAG-3) and programmed death-1 (PD-1) are two distinct inhibitory immune checkpoints that are often co-expressed on tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, thus contributing to tumor-mediated T-cell exhaustion. The combination of nivolumab (anti-PD-1) and relatlimab (anti-LAG-3) results in increased T-cell activation compared to the activity of either antibody alone. Relatlimab (in combination with nivolumab) is the first LAG-3-blocking antibody to demonstrate a benefit in a Phase III study. It is the third checkpoint inhibitor (along with anti-PD-1 and anti-CTLA-4) for Bristol Myers Squibb..
Learning Zones
The Learning Zones are an educational resource for healthcare professionals that provide medical information on the epidemiology, pathophysiology and burden of disease, as well as diagnostic techniques and treatment regimens.
1 mins