ASCO 2021: Bristol Myers boasts next-gen checkpoint blocker

At this year’s American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting, Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) will present the first data from a Phase III trial evaluating a LAG-3-blocking antibody.

The firm has already released top-line results from the RELATIVITY-047 trial, revealing a fixed-dose combination of LAG-3 blocker relatlimab and Opdivo (nivolumab) met its primary endpoint of progression-free survival (PFS), in the first-line treatment of melanoma.

Jonathan Cheng, senior vice president and head of oncology development, describes relatlimab as “a very exciting new area,” adding it is now “the third checkpoint inhibitor to show benefit in patients with melanoma.”