Nivolumab Shows Encouraging Survival Rates in Recurrent SCLC

Nivolumab monotherapy and combined with ipilimumab shows encouraging response and survival rates among patients with recurrent small cell lung cancer (SCLC) in the CheckMate-032 study, according to an announcement by Bristol-Myers Squibb.¹

CheckMate-032 is an ongoing phase 1/2 open-label trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of different doses and schedules of single-agent nivolumab and nivolumab plus ipilimumab in advanced or metastatic solid tumors.

The SCLC cohort of CheckMate-032 included 217 patients with disease progression after 1 or more prior lines of treatment, including a first-line platinum-based chemotherapy regimen. In this analysis, treatment with nivolumab 1 mg/kg plus ipilimumab 3 mg/kg was associated with a confirmed objective response rate of 25% (95% CI, 15-37), including 3 complete responses and 21 partial responses.

Eleven percent of patients treated with nivolumab monotherapy achieved an objective response rate. Investigators observed responses regardless of platinum sensitivity or prior lines of therapy.

Median duration of response was 11.7 months (95% CI, 4.0-not reached) in the combination arm and not reached in the single-agent nivolumab arm. The estimated 2-year overall survival rate was 30% with the combination and 17% with nivolumab alone.

No new safety signals were observed with longer follow-up duration.

Reference

1. Opdivo (nivolumab) alone or combined with Yervoy (ipilimumab) shows encouraging response and survival rates in recurrent small cell lung cancer, from phase 1/2 study CheckMate -032. Bristol-Myers Squibb website. http://news.bms.com/press-release/bmy/opdivo-nivolumab-alone-or-combined-yervoy-ipilimumab-shows-encouraging-response-an. Published December 6, 2016. Accessed December 19, 2016.