BMS’ Opdivo Boosted Lung Cancer Survival in Late-Stage Trial

Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) unveiled positive interim results from its phase 3 CheckMate trial, showing that Opdivo (nivolumab) plus chemotherapy significantly improved event-free survival in patients with resectable IB-IIIA nonsmall-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

BMS’ latest findings show that it wants to remain competitive if not best its rival Merck’s Keytruda when it comes to approved early cancer treatments.

BMS didn’t release details of the study’s prespecified interim analysis. But study investigator Nicolas Girard, head of the Thorax Institute Curie Montsouris in Paris, called the results of the Checkmate-816 trial “groundbreaking.”

“While the intent of surgery is curative in resectable nonsmall-cell lung cancer, between 30 to 55 percent of patients experience recurrence after surgery and ultimately succumb to the disease, presenting a strong need for additional options that can disrupt this cycle,” he said. “The positive event-free survival data seen with neoadjuvant nivolumab plus chemotherapy is groundbreaking and can have important implications for how we treat resectable nonsmall-cell lung cancer,” he said.