Opdivo Combo Shows Consistent Long-Term Survival in Renal Cell Carcinoma Patients

Patients with previously untreated advanced or metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) were found to have long-term survival benefits at a 30-month follow-up through a combination therapy of nivolumab (Opdivo) with low-dose ipilimumab (Yervoy), as demonstrated through results from the Phase 3 CheckMate-214 study from Bristol Myers Squibb Company.

Compared with those randomized to sunitinib, intermediate- and poor-risk patients administered Opdivo with low-dose Yervoy continued to show a positive overall survival (OS) benefit. Additionally, at 30 months, the objective response rate (ORR) per investigator for intermediate- and poor-risk patients treated with the drug combination improved compared with the previous analysis at a minimum of 17.5 months.

The 30-month OS was 60% and ORR was 42% for patients treated with Opdivo and low-dose Yervoy versus a 47% OS rate and 29% ORR, respectively, for those treated with sunitinib. The results were similar for intention-to-treat patients, according to the press release.

The overall safety of the combination was consistent with observations from the 17.5-month minimum follow-up analysis and with previously reported studies of these medicines in patients with RCC. No new safety signals or drug-related deaths occurred with extended follow-up.

“The results from this 30-month follow-up from the CheckMate-214 study are meaningful as they continue to demonstrate that in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma, a population with considerable unmet treatment needs, there is potential for long-term survival benefits with the combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab,” said CheckMate-214 investigator Nizar M. Tannir, MD, FACP.

According to Heathline, RCC is the most common type of kidney cancer in adults, with more than 140,000 deaths worldwide each year. It is more commonly found in men between the ages of 50 and 70, but can be diagnosed in anyone. Globally, the 5-year survival rate for those diagnosed with metastatic or advanced kidney cancer is 12.1%. Risk factors for the disease include family history, dialysis treatment, hypertension, and obesity.