Experimental Drug Improves Lung Cancer Survival
In the CheckMate 017 trial, nivolumab showed a survival advantage over chemotherapy in a pivotal trial of lung cancer patients. The drug, an immune checkpoint inhibitor manufactured by Bristol-Myers Squibb, has already been approved for use in melanoma. The trial has been stopped early due to the positive results.
This is the first time that a survival advantage has been demonstrated in lung cancer with an immunomodulator drug, according to Bristol-Myers Squibb in a press release.
The trial included 272 patients with advanced or metastatic squamous cell nonsmall cell lung cancer. It was an open-label trial that randomized patients to receive either nivolumab 3 mg/kg intravenously every 2 weeks or docetaxel 75 mg/m² intravenously every 3 weeks.
Pharmaceutical analysts reacting to the news speculate that the drug could be approved for use in lung cancer before the end of the year. The company has already filed for this indication in both the United States and Europe, and now says that it will "share" the new data with regulatory authorities.—Kerri Fitzgerald
Source: Medscape. 2015; A First in Lung Cancer: Immunotherapy Improves Survivial.
