Bristol Myers Squibb has shared encouraging phase 3 results for its combination regiment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
The company reported that the CheckMate -77T trial achieved its primary objective of enhancing event-free survival (EFS) in patients receiving Opdivo in combination with chemotherapy when diagnosed with resectable stage IIA to IIIB NSCLC.
The interim analysis revealed that combining Opdivo with chemotherapy before surgery — followed by adjuvant Opdivo post-surgery — led to a statistically significant improvement in EFS when compared to chemotherapy with a placebo pre-surgery followed by adjuvant placebo post-surgery. The study also found that the drug's safety profile was consistent with other treatments for NSCLC.
Opdivo, which was first approved in late 2014 for melanoma, was the first PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor to receive regulatory approval. Opdivo and Opdivo-based combinations have demonstrated mixed effectiveness in treatments for several tumor types, including bladder cancer and melanoma. Last year, the company shared that the drug had yielded disappointing trial results when used as a post-surgery combination treatment with Yervoy for patients with localized renal cell carcinoma.
The blockbuster generated $8.5 billion in revenue last year.
