How Effective Are Opdivo And Yervoy When Taken Together

How effective are Opdivo and Yervoy when taken together Opdivo nivolumab and Yervoy ipilimumab are two anticancer medications While they are both effective treatment options for many different types of cancer research shows they work better when taken together for some types of cancerWhat are Opdivo and YervoyOpdivo and Yervoy are two types of immunotherapy They are both injectable medications that may be used to treat different types of cancerOpdivo is a programmed death receptor PDblocking antibody It works to treat cancer by blocking a protein called PD on immune cells allowing them to better recognize and attack cancer cells Opdivo is FDA approved to treatMelanomaNonsmall cell lung cancerMalignant pleural mesotheliomaRenal cell carcinomaClassical Hodgkin lymphomaSquamous cell carcinoma of the head and neckUrothelial carcinomaColorectal cancerHepatocellular carcinomaEsophageal cancerGastric cancerGastroesophageal junction cancerYervoy is a human cytotoxic Tlymphocyte antigen CTLAblocking antibody CTLA is a protein on T cells that works to stop them from killing other cells such as cancer cells By blocking the actions of CTLA Yervoy strengthens Tcell activation and responsiveness against cancer cells Yervoy is FDA approved to treatMelanomaRenal cell carcinomaColorectal cancerHepatocellular carcinomaNonsmall cell lung cancerMalignant pleural mesotheliomaEsophageal cancerWhy are Opdivo and Yervoy taken togetherTaking Opdivo and Yervoy together results in stronger Tcell function that exceeds the effects of either medication alone This is because they work in different ways Patients who have taken these two medications together saw improved antitumor responses in metastatic melanoma and advanced RCC In animal studies blocking both PD and CTLA by giving both Opdivo and Yervoy resulted in higher antitumor activityOpdivo and Yervoy may be used as combination therapy for melanoma nonsmall cell lung cancer malignant pleural mesothelioma renal cell carcinoma hepatocellular carcinoma esophageal cancer and colorectal cancerHow effective are Opdivo and YervoyThe effectiveness of taking Opdivo and Yervoy depends on the individual person and what type of cancer they are treating Below we will review data from clinical trials where patients took these two medications togetherMelanomaIn a clinical trial called CHECKMATE patients with previously treated metastatic melanoma were given Opdivo Opdivo and Yervoy followed by Opdivo or Yervoy The study was not designed to determine if taking Yervoy and Opvido together improved progressionfree survival or overall survival However researchers found that patients who took Opdivo and Yervoy together had an overall survival rate of compared to of patients who took Yervoy alone and of patients who took Opdivo alone at months after starting treatmentRelated questions How long does Opdivo prolong life and whats its success rate What are monoclonal antibodies How long does Opdivo take to work and how do you know if its working Nonsmall cell lung cancer NSCLCIn a clinical trial called CHECKMATE patients with metastatic or recurrent NSCLC were given Opdivo and Yervoy or platinumdoublet chemotherapy for up to months The overall survival in patients taking Yervoy and Opdivo was to median months compared to to median months for patients taking platinumdoublet chemotherapyMalignant pleural mesotheliomaIn a clinical trial called CHECKMATE patients with unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma were given Opdivo and Yervoy cisplatin or carboplatin and pemetrexed for up to years The overall survival in patients taking Opdivo and Yervoy was to median months compared to to median months for patients taking chemotherapyRenal cell carcinoma RCCIn a clinical trial called CHECKMATE patients with previously untreated advanced RCC were given Opdivo and Yervoy followed by Opdivo or sunitinib The complete response rate in patients who took Opdivo and Yervoy was compared to in patients who took sunitinib The overall survival in patients taking Opdivo and Yervoy was months median compared to months median for patients taking sunitinib The median followup was monthsHepatocellular carcinomaIn a clinical trial called CHECKMATE patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who progressed on or were intolerant to sorafenib were given Opdivo or Opdivo and Yervoy followed by Opdivo The complete response rate was in patients taking Opdivo and Yervoy and the partial response rate was per RECIST v a standard way to measure tumor response of treatment The minimum followup was monthsEsophageal cancerIn a clinical trial called CHECKMATE patients with previously untreated unresectable advanced recurrent or metastatic