Opdivo combo regimens take on Keytruda in first-line setting

31 May 2022

Two new approvals for Opdivo (nivolumab)-based regimens in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) will bring meaningful competition for the leading checkpoint blocker, Keytruda (pembrolizumab).

While Merck & Co’s (NYSE: MRK) Keytruda has been approved since early 2021 as a first-line treatment for people with advanced ESCC, doctors may prefer one of the new Opdivo-based options for some people, particularly patients that are ineligible for chemotherapy.

As well as an Opdivo-chemo combo, Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) has gained US Food and Drug Administration approval for a dual therapy with its other checkpoint blocker, Yervoy (ipilimumab).

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