Immunotherapy Duo Fails to Improve Disease-Free Survival in Patients With Kidney Cancer Following Surgery

A study evaluating Opdivo (nivolumab) plus Yervoy (ipilimumab) — two immunotherapy agents — did not meet its main goal of disease-free survival (time a patient survives after treatment without signs or symptoms of their cancer) in certain patients with kidney cancer, according to Bristol Myers Squibb, the manufacturer of the drugs.

“Even with notable progress in the treatment of metastatic (kidney cancer), there are still limited treatment options available for patients with localized disease,” Dr. Dana Walker, vice president and development program lead of genitourinary cancers at Bristol Myers Squibb, said in a press release.

These findings come from a subset of patients within the phase 3 CheckMate-914 clinical trial, which is comparing post-surgical Opdivo plus Yervoy to Opdivo alone in patients with localized renal cell carcinoma (the most common type of kidney cancer) who underwent surgery to remove all or part of their kidney, and are at a high or moderate risk of relapse.

The main goal of the study was determining disease-free survival, with secondary goals of overall survival (time from treatment until death of any cause) and incidence of side effects.

Currently, the average five-year survival rate for patients with metastatic or advanced kidney cancer is 14%, and just over half of patients with resectable, localized disease experience a five-year disease-free survival.

“Opdivo and Opdivo-based combinations have shown survival benefits in several earlier-stage and advanced cancers, including genitourinary tumors, and we are disappointed that the final analysis of CheckMate-914 Part A did not show this same benefit for the post-surgical treatment of patients with localized (kidney cancer),” Walker said.

For more news on cancer updates, research and education, don’t forget to subscribe to CURE®’s newsletters here.