Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. has announced that its first drug from a new portfolio of cancer immunotherapies has reportedly been approved as an initial treatment for advanced melanoma, which is known as the deadliest form of skin cancer.
The firm expects the treatment to generate annual sales of more than USD 4 billion in the future. The FDA has reportedly approved relatlimab, a LAG-3 inhibitor (lymphocyte-activation gene 3) for use as an initial treatment for advanced melanoma in combination with Bristol's hit immunotherapy treatment Opdivo.
In clinical trials, relatlimab, which will be marketed as Opdualag, more than doubled the time it took for advanced melanoma to worsen when compared to Opdivo alone, a metric known as progression-free survival.
The drug is Bristol Myers' 3rd authorized cancer immunotherapy, which uses the body's defenses to fight tumors. For those unaware, Opdivo targets a protein known as PD-1. The drugmaker's first similar product called Yervoy is a CTLA-4 inhibitor.
Chief Medical Officer Samit Hirawat was reportedly quoted in an interview that Relatlimab will only be used in conjunction with Opdivo. LAG-3 inhibitors such as relatlimab can strengthen the immune system by restoring the function of exhausted T cells which is a key component of the immune system, potentially improving Opdivo's performance. The hypothesis says that the best application of a LAG-3 inhibitor will be in combination with a PD-1 inhibitor, such as Opdivo, Hirawat added.
However, according to the organization, the combination is expected to cost USD 27,389. Bristol Myers anticipates the combination therapy to generate more than USD 4 billion in sales per year by 2029.
It is worth mentioning here that Bristol Myers Squibb is planning to test the combination of Opdivo and relatlimab in other cancer types such as lung, colorectal, and kidney cancer.
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