Combined Nivolumab and Ipilimumab or Monotherapy in Untreated Melanoma

Results from a RCT (n=945) showed that progress-free survival was 11.5 months with nivolumab and ipilimumab, 2.9 months with ipilimumab alone, and 6.9 months with nivolumab alone (p<0.001 for all comparisons) among previously untreated patients with metastatic melanoma.

NICE currently recommends ipilimumab as a first-line treatment for patients with advanced malignant melanoma when the full tumour cannot be removed or the cancer has spread to other parts of the body.

 

Nivolumab (Opdivo) has been launched in the UK as monotherapy only, for the treatment of advanced (unresectable or metastatic) melanoma in adults. Separately, a supplemental biologics license application has been submitted to the US FDA for combined use with ipilimumab.