Safety Profile Of Nivolumab Research Articles

Randomized, open-label, phase 2 study of nivolumab plus ipilimumab or nivolumab monotherapy in patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumors of high tumor mutational burden

BackgroundCheckpoint inhibitor therapy has demonstrated overall survival benefit in multiple tumor types. Tumor mutational burden (TMB) is a predictive biomarker for response to immunotherapies. This study evaluated the efficacy of...

Real-World Efficacy and Safety of First-Line Nivolumab Plus Chemotherapy in Patients with Advanced Gastric, Gastroesophageal Junction, and Esophageal Adenocarcinoma: A Nationwide Observational Turkish Oncology Group (TOG) Study.

Based on the CheckMate 649 trial, nivolumab plus chemotherapy is the recommended first-line treatment for HER2-negative unresectable advanced or metastatic gastric, gastroesophageal junction (GEJ), or esophageal adenocarcinoma. This nationwide, multicenter, retrospective study evaluated the real-world effectiveness of this regimen in Turkish patients and identified subgroups that may experience superior outcomes. Conducted across 16 oncology centers in Turkey, this study retrospectively reviewed the clinical charts of adult patients diagnosed with HER2-negative unresectable advanced or metastatic gastric, GEJ, or esophageal adenocarcinoma from 2016 to 2023. This study included 111 patients (54 women, 57 men) with a median age of 58 years. The median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 11.7 months and 18.2 months, respectively, whereas the objective response rate (ORR) was 70.3%. Multivariable analyses revealed that previous curative surgery was a favorable independent prognostic factor for both PFS and OS. Conversely, an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 2 emerged as an adverse independent prognostic factor for OS. The safety profile of nivolumab plus chemotherapy was found to be manageable. Our findings support the use of nivolumab plus chemotherapy for the first-line treatment of Turkish patients with HER2-negative unresectable advanced or metastatic gastric, GEJ, or esophageal adenocarcinoma. Patient selection based on clinical characteristics is crucial for optimizing treatment outcomes.

Subcutaneous (SC) nivolumab (NIVO) vs intravenous (IV) NIVO in patients with previously treated advanced or metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC): Safety and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) of the randomized phase 3 CheckMate 67T trial.

4532 Background: CheckMate 67T (NCT04810078), a multicenter, randomized, open-label, phase 3 study, evaluated pharmacokinetics and objective response rate (ORR) noninferiority of NIVO SC vs IV in previously treated patients with advanced/metastatic ccRCC. Noninferiority endpoints of exposure (time-averaged serum concentration over the first 28 days and trough serum concentration at steady state) and efficacy (ORR by BICR) were met. Safety was comparable in the SC vs IV arms. NIVO-related immunogenicity was as expected for SC administration and further assessments did not identify apparent clinically meaningful impact. This report focuses on additional safety analyses and PROs. Methods: Patients were randomized 1:1 to NIVO SC 1200 mg + recombinant human hyaluronidase PH20 Q4W (n = 248) or NIVO IV 3 mg/kg Q2W (n = 247). Eligibility criteria were previously reported. Safety analyses were performed for all-causality adverse events (AEs) across weight categories (< 50 kg, ≥ 50 kg–< 70 kg, ≥ 70–< 90 kg, ≥ 90 kg–< 110 kg, and ≥ 110 kg). The onset, management, and resolution of treatment-related select AEs were studied; duration and grade of local site reactions and the effect of immunogenicity on local site reactions were reported. PROs were assessed using the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT) GP5 item. Results: The overall AE incidence rates in the SC arm were generally comparable to or lower than in the IV arm across weight categories, but limited by small sample sizes in the < 50 kg and ≥110 kg subgroups. Across the treatment-related select AE categories, most events were manageable with established algorithms and resolved with immune-modulating medications. Local site reactions were mild to moderate with a median duration of 2.0 and 0.01 days in the SC and the IV arms, respectively; most resolved without treatment. The proportion of patients with a local site reaction of any grade was 8.1% in the SC arm and 2.0% in the IV arm. In patients testing NIVO-specific anti-drug antibody (ADA)-positive, 15.2% of patients in the SC arm reported a local site reaction, but all were grade 1–2 and most resolved without treatment. No hypersensitivity/infusion reaction select AEs were reported in ADA-positive patients in either arm. A majority of patients in SC and IV arms reported minimal bother by treatment side effects in their FACIT GP5 scores. Conclusions: The safety profile of SC was consistent with IV, supporting the use of NIVO SC as an option improving patient experience. This aligns with patient preference for SC administration over IV. Analyses based on weight and ADA subgroups were consistent with the known NIVO safety profile. Toxicity was manageable with immune-modulating medications. FACIT GP5 scores indicated no bother by treatment side effects. Clinical trial information: NCT04810078 .

REVOLUMAB: A phase II trial of nivolumab in recurrent IDH mutant high-grade gliomas

BackgroundNovel effective treatments are needed for recurrent IDH mutant high-grade gliomas (IDHm HGGs). The aim of the multicentric, single-arm, phase II REVOLUMAB trial (NCT03925246) was to assess the efficacy and safety of the anti-PD1 Nivolumab in patients with recurrent IDHm HGGs. Patients and methodsAdult patients with IDHm WHO grade 3–4 gliomas recurring after radiotherapy and ≥ 1 line of alkylating chemotherapy were treated with intravenous Nivolumab until end of treatment (12 months), progression, unacceptable toxicity, or death. The primary endpoint was the 24-week progression-free survival rate (24w-PFS) according to RANO criteria. ResultsFrom July 2019 to June 2020, 39 patients with recurrent IDHm HGGs (twenty-one grade 3, thirteen grade 4, five grade 2 with radiological evidence of anaplastic transformation; 39% 1p/19q codeleted) were enrolled. Median time since diagnosis was 5.7 years, and the median number of previous systemic treatments was two. The 24w-PFS was 28.2% (11/39, CI95% 15–44.9%). Median PFS and OS were 1.84 (CI95% 1.81–5.89) and 14.7 months (CI95% 9.18-NR), respectively. Four patients (10.3%) achieved partial response according to RANO criteria. There were no significant differences in clinical or histomolecular features between responders and non-responders. The safety profile of Nivolumab was consistent with prior studies. ConclusionsWe report the results of the first trial of immune checkpoint inhibitors in IDHm gliomas. Nivolumab failed to achieve its primary endpoint. However, treatment was well tolerated, and long-lasting responses were observed in a subset of patients, supporting further evaluation in combination with other agents (e.g. IDH inhibitors).

NISCAHN: a phase II trial of nivolumab in patients with salivary gland carcinoma (Unicancer ORL-08)

ObjectiveSalivary gland cancers (SGC) are rare cancers with currently no standard treatment for recurrent/metastatic disease. Based on checkpoint inhibitors benefit in a broad range of tumours, NIvolumab in Salivary gland...

Nivolumab and daratumumab combination regimens for the treatment of relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma: results of a randomized phase I/II clinical trial

PurposeThe phase I/II trial CheckMate 039 (NCT01592370) evaluated the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of nivolumab-daratumumab (ND) in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM).MethodsPatients with RRMM were randomized to receive ND with or without pomalidomide-dexamethasone (Pd) in cohort A and ND or D monotherapy in cohort B. The primary endpoint was safety. Secondary endpoints included minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity status, overall response rate (ORR), duration of response, and progression-free survival (PFS).ResultsCohort A (n = 11) was terminated early due to safety concerns observed with immunomodulatory agents and checkpoint inhibitor combinations in other clinical trials. In the small number of patients treated in cohort A, no new safety concerns were observed but patients who received NDPd had numerically more grade 3/4 adverse events (AEs) and serious AEs compared with ND. Grade 3/4 AEs occurring in ≥ 1 patient in the ND group was anemia (3/6 patients); in the NDPd group, these were neutropenia (3/5 patients), upper respiratory tract infection (2/6 patients), and pneumonia (2/6 patients). In cohort B (n = 63), AE rates were similar between ND and D (any-grade: 87.8% vs 95.5%; grade 3/4: 53.7% vs 45.5%). Grade 3/4 AEs occurring in ≥ 1 patient in the ND group were neutropenia (19.5%), anemia (9.8%), thrombocytopenia (9.8%), and bronchitis (7.3%); in the D group these were anemia and pneumonia (both 9.1%). Immune-mediated AEs for ND were consistent with the known safety profile of nivolumab. In cohort A, all patients (5/5) receiving NDPd and 4/6 receiving ND achieved a response. In cohort B, the ORR with ND was numerically higher than D (22/41 [53.7%] vs 9/22 [40.9%]) and both groups had a median PFS of 6.6 months. ND also showed promising MRD negativity results (next-generation sequencing 10-5, 24.0%; next-generation flow 10-5, 22.2%).ConclusionNDPd demonstrated no new safety signals and encouraging efficacy despite its early termination. ND was well tolerated with a manageable toxicity and few AEs leading to discontinuation, and demonstrated a numerically higher ORR but equivalent PFS compared with D. Any clinical benefits to OS require a longer follow-up.Clinical trial registrationhttps://clinicaltrials.gov/, identifier NCT01592370.

Nivolumab (NIVO) plus relatlimab (RELA) vs NIVO in previously untreated metastatic or unresectable melanoma: 2-year results from RELATIVITY-047.

9502 Background: In RELATIVITY-047 (NCT03470922), NIVO + RELA demonstrated a statistically significant progression-free survival (PFS) benefit vs NIVO; there was an observed improvement in overall survival (OS) although it was not statistically significant. The combination also had a descriptively higher confirmed objective response rate (ORR) assessed by blinded independent central review (BICR) vs NIVO. Here we report updated descriptive analyses (efficacy, safety, and secondary analyses) with longer (~ 2 years) follow-up. Methods: Patients were randomized 1:1 to receive NIVO 480 mg + RELA 160 mg fixed-dose combination or NIVO 480 mg every 4 weeks, as previously described. Primary endpoint of PFS per RECIST v1.1 was assessed by BICR; secondary endpoints included OS and ORR per BICR. Exploratory analyses were performed for melanoma-specific survival (MSS; defined as death due to melanoma, with censoring of deaths due to other causes) and efficacy outcomes on subsequent systemic therapy. Results: Patients received NIVO + RELA (n = 355) or NIVO (n = 359). Median follow-up was 25.3 months in this updated analysis (minimum follow-up, 21.0 months). NIVO + RELA continued to show a benefit over NIVO for PFS, OS and ORR (Table). A similar improvement was also observed in MSS. NIVO + RELA was generally favored over NIVO across key subgroups (consistent with previous reports). Subsequent systemic therapy was received by 131 (36.9%) and 136 (37.9%) patients in the NIVO + RELA and NIVO arms, respectively. Treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs; any grade) leading to treatment discontinuation were observed in 61 (17.2%) and 31 (8.6%) patients on NIVO + RELA and NIVO, respectively. Grade 3–4 TRAEs were observed in 78 (22.0%) patients on NIVO + RELA and 43 (12.0%) patients on NIVO. In total, there were 6 treatment-related deaths (NIVO + RELA, n = 4; NIVO, n = 2); no new treatment-related deaths have been reported since the last analysis. Conclusions: With 12.3 months of additional follow-up, a consistent benefit was observed with NIVO + RELA vs NIVO for PFS, OS and ORR in the ITT population, as well as in key patient subgroups. MSS was longer with NIVO + RELA compared with NIVO. The safety profile of NIVO + RELA remained consistent with previous reports, with no new or unexpected safety signals. Efficacy outcomes on subsequent systemic therapy (by type of subsequent therapy, including PD-L1/CTLA-4) will be presented. Clinical trial information: NCT03470922 . [Table: see text]

The safety profile of nivolumab plus ipilimumab combination therapy in Japanese patients with renal cell carcinoma: results from post-marketing surveillance.

Nivolumab and ipilimumab combination therapy is approved in Japan for unresectable or metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Because the clinical trials supporting the approval of nivolumab and ipilimumab combination therapy included relatively few Japanese patients, post-marketing surveillance was implemented to collate further safety data for nivolumab and ipilimumab combination therapy. Patients with unresectable or metastatic renal cell carcinoma who started nivolumab and ipilimumab combination therapy between September 2018 and December 2019 were registered in this post-marketing surveillance. The observation period was 13weeks. Safety data included treatment-related adverse events with a particular emphasis on the gastrointestinal-related (colitis, enteritis, diarrhoea and gastrointestinal perforation) and liver-related (hepatic failure, hepatic function abnormal, hepatitis and cholangitis sclerosing) treatment-related adverse events that are listed in the risk management plan for nivolumab and ipilimumab combination therapy. Of the 203 patients registered, safety data were available for 159 (119 males/40 females) with a median age of 67years (range 22-88). Seventy-one patients received nivolumab and ipilimumab combination therapy four times per usual clinical therapy, and 33 continued nivolumab monotherapy thereafter. Any-grade treatment-related adverse events were reported in 102 (64.2%) patients and grade≥3 in 63 (39.6%). Hepatic function abnormalities (13.2%), rash (8.8%) and interstitial lung disease (7.5%) were the most common treatment-related adverse events. Five patients died following treatment-related adverse events. Gastrointestinal-related and liver-related treatment-related adverse events occurred in 10 (6.3%; four with grade≥3 treatment-related adverse events) and 27 (17.0%; 19 with grade≥3 treatment-related adverse events) patients, respectively. This post-marketing surveillance in patients with unresectable or metastatic renal cell carcinoma revealed a safety profile for nivolumab and ipilimumab combination therapy consistent with CheckMate 214. Furthermore, no new safety concerns were identified including gastrointestinal-related and liver-related treatment-related adverse events.

Association of Body Mass Index With the Safety Profile of Nivolumab With or Without Ipilimumab

Increased survival with immune checkpoint inhibitors has been reported for patients with obesity vs a normal body mass index (BMI). However, the association of obesity with the safety of immune checkpoint inhibitors warrants study. To investigate associations between BMI and immune-related adverse events (irAEs) among patients with advanced cancers treated with nivolumab monotherapy and nivolumab plus ipilimumab combination therapy. This study was a retrospective pooled analysis of 3772 patients from 14 multicenter CheckMate clinical trials across 8 tumor types. Patients with advanced cancers received nivolumab, 3 mg/kg (n = 2746); nivolumab, 3 mg/kg, plus ipilimumab, 1 mg/kg (n = 713); or nivolumab, 1 mg/kg, plus ipilimumab, 3 mg/kg (n = 313). Baseline BMI was categorized as normal weight or underweight (<25), overweight (25 to <30), or obese (≥30) according to World Health Organization criteria. The studies began patient enrollment between February 9, 2012, and May 21, 2015, and patients were followed up to database lock on May 1, 2019. Data analysis was conducted from May 1 to September 1, 2019. Nivolumab, 3 mg/kg; nivolumab, 3 mg/kg, plus ipilimumab, 1 mg/kg; and nivolumab, 1 mg/kg, plus ipilimumab, 3 mg/kg. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs for incidence of any-grade and grade 3 or 4 irAEs were calculated for patients with obesity vs normal weight or underweight BMI in the overall cohort and in subgroups based on patient and tumor characteristics. Analyses for nivolumab plus ipilimumab cohorts were exploratory. A total of 3772 patients were included, 2600 were male (69%), and median age was 61 years (range, 18-90 years). For patients receiving monotherapy with nivolumab, 3 mg/kg (n = 2746), the incidence of any-grade irAEs was higher in patients with obesity (n = 543) vs those with normal weight or underweight BMI (n = 1266; OR, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.38-2.11). Incidence of grade 3 or 4 irAEs did not differ between patients with obesity and those with normal weight or underweight BMI (OR, 1.21; 95% CI, 0.92-1.61). Risk of any-grade and grade 3 or 4 irAEs appeared consistent with that in the overall population across all subgroups evaluated except for a higher likelihood of grade 3 or 4 irAEs among female patients with obesity vs normal weight or underweight BMI (OR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.07-2.79). For patients receiving nivolumab plus ipilimumab, the incidence of irAEs appeared consistent across BMI categories. Obesity appeared to be associated with an increased incidence of any-grade irAEs among patients treated with nivolumab monotherapy and with grade 3 or 4 irAEs among female patients only. These findings may inform the monitoring of patients at high risk of developing irAEs.

Abstract CT022: CheckMate 848: A randomized, open-label, phase 2 study of nivolumab in combination with ipilimumab or nivolumab monotherapy in patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumors of high tumor mutational burden

Abstract High tumor mutational burden assessed in tissue biopsies (tTMB-H) or blood (bTMB-H) is associated with clinical efficacy in patients treated with immunotherapies. CheckMate 848 (NCT03668119) is a prospective phase 2 study of nivolumab (NIVO) with or without ipilimumab (IPI) in patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumors that are tTMB-H or bTMB-H (≥ 10 mutations/megabase) who were immunotherapy-naive and refractory to standard local therapies. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR) in patients with tTMB-H or bTMB-H, assessed by FoundationOne® CDx-based and Clinical Trial Assays (Foundation Medicine), respectively. The study was not powered to compare NIVO + IPI vs NIVO. We present the interim and final analyses for the tTMB-H and bTMB-H cohorts, respectively (≥ 12 months follow-up, database lock June 2021). Of 1954 screened patients, 212 were randomized 2:1 to NIVO 240 mg Q2W + IPI 1 mg/kg Q6W or NIVO 480 mg Q4W for ≤ 24 months, and 201 (135 tTMB-H; 147 bTMB-H) were refractory to standard therapies. Of &amp;gt; 40 tumor types, colorectal (10.8%), small-cell lung (7.5%), breast (7.1%), and uterine (7.1%) were the most common. ORR and survival outcomes with NIVO + IPI were improved in patients with tTMB-H. The responses were independent of bTMB-H status in the tTMB-H cohort but improved with tTMB-H status in the bTMB-H cohort (Table). The safety profile of NIVO + IPI was manageable, and clinical outcomes with NIVO were comparable with previous studies. The impact of TMB cutoff, PD-L1 expression, and microsatellite instability were explored. In conclusion, NIVO + IPI demonstrated clinical efficacy with a manageable safety profile in patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumors that are tTMB-H or bTMB-H and refractory to standard therapies, with increased efficacy observed in patients with tTMB-H. NIVO + IPI tTMB-H cohort bTMB-H cohorta Patients, n (%)b,c 68 (32.1) 80 (37.7) Number of prior treatments, median (range) 2 (0–7) 2 (1–9) ORR, n (%)c, 95% CI 24 (35.3), 24.1–47.8 18 (22.5), 13.9–33.2 ORR in patients with bTMB-H by tTMBc: &amp;lt; 10 mut/Mb (n = 31), n (%), 95% CI NA 3 (9.7), 2.0–25.8 ≥ 10 mut/Mb (n = 39), n (%), 95% CI NA 13 (33.3), 19.1–50.2 ≥ 10 to &amp;lt; 16 mut/Mb (n = 18), n (%), 95% CI NA 3 (16.7), 3.6–41.4 ≥ 16 mut/Mb (n = 21), n (%), 95% CI NA 10 (47.6), 25.7–70.2 ORR in patients with tTMB-H by bTMBc: &amp;lt; 10 mut/Mb (n = 20), n (%), 95% CI 7 (35.0), 15.4–59.2 NA ≥ 10 mut/Mb (n = 43), n (%), 95% CI 16 (37.2), 23.0–53.3 NA ≥ 10 to &amp;lt; 16 mut/Mb (n = 12), n (%), 95% CI 3 (25.0), 5.5–57.2 NA ≥ 16 mut/Mb (n = 31), n (%), 95% CI 13 (41.9), 24.5–60.9 NA Percentage of responders (≥ 9 months) (95% CI) 91 (68–98) 88 (61–97) Median PFS, months (95% CI)c 4.1 (2.8–11.3) 2.8 (2.3–3.0) Median OS, months (95% CI)c 14.5 (7.7–NE) 8.5 (5.8–10.5) aThe bTMB cohort was randomized prior to December 20, 2019. bOut of 212 randomized patients; data presented in this table are from patients who were refractory to standard therapies. cMinimum follow-up 12 months. bTMB, blood tumor mutational burden; NA, not applicable; NE, not evaluable; PFS, progression-free survival; OS, overall survival; tTMB, tissue tumor mutational burden. Citation Format: Michael Schenker, Mauricio Burotto, Martin Richardet, Tudor Ciuleanu, Anthony Goncalves, Neeltje Steeghs, Patrick Schöffski, Paolo A. Ascierto, Michele Maio, Iwona Lugowska, Lorena Lupinacci, Alexandra Leary, Jean-Pierre Delord, Julieta Grasselli, David S. Tan, Jennifer E. Friedmann, Jacqueline Vuky, Marina Tschaika, Ruta Slepetis, Georgia D. Kollia, Misena Pacius, Ning Huang, Parul Doshi, Jonathan Baden, Massimo Di Nicola. CheckMate 848: A randomized, open-label, phase 2 study of nivolumab in combination with ipilimumab or nivolumab monotherapy in patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumors of high tumor mutational burden [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr CT022.

Open-label phase II study of the efficacy of nivolumab for cancer of unknown primary

Cancer of unknown primary (CUP) has a poor prognosis. Given the recent approval of immune checkpoint inhibitors for several cancer types, we carried out a multicenter phase II study to assess the efficacy of nivolumab for patients with CUP. Patients with CUP who were previously treated with at least one line of systemic chemotherapy constituted the principal study population. Previously untreated patients with CUP were also enrolled for exploratory analysis. Nivolumab (240 mg/body) was administered every 2 weeks for up to 52 cycles. The primary endpoint was objective response rate in previously treated patients as determined by blinded independent central review according to RECIST version 1.1. Fifty-six patients with CUP were enrolled in the trial. For the 45 previously treated patients, objective response rate was 22.2% [95% confidence interval (CI), 11.2% to 37.1%], with a median progression-free survival and overall survival of 4.0 months (95% CI, 1.9-5.8 months) and 15.9 months (95% CI, 8.4-21.5 months), respectively. Similar clinical benefits were also observed in the 11 previously untreated patients. Better clinical efficacy of nivolumab was apparent for tumors with a higher programmed death-ligand 1 expression level, for those with a higher tumor mutation burden, and for microsatellite instability-high tumors. In contrast, no differences in efficacy were apparent between tumor subgroups based on estimated tissue of origin. Adverse events were consistent with the known safety profile of nivolumab. No treatment-related death was observed. Our results demonstrate a clinical benefit of nivolumab for patients with CUP, suggesting that nivolumab is a potential additional therapeutic option for CUP.

S364 Safety Profile of Nivolumab for Advanced Refractory Esophageal and Gastro-Esophageal Junction Cancer: Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis

S364 Safety Profile of Nivolumab for Advanced Refractory Esophageal and Gastro-Esophageal Junction Cancer: Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis

Efficacy and safety of nivolumab in Japanese patients with first recurrence of glioblastoma: an open-label, non-comparative study

BackgroundAn open-label, non-comparative study assessed the efficacy and safety of nivolumab in Japanese patients with first recurrence glioblastoma.MethodsPatients with first recurrence of histologically confirmed World Health Organization Grade IV glioma, after treatment with temozolomide and radiotherapy, received nivolumab 3 mg/kg every 2 weeks until confirmed disease progression (Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology criteria) or toxicity. Primary endpoint was 1-year overall survival rate assessed by Bayesian approach. The prespecified efficacy criterion was that the Bayesian posterior probability threshold for exceeding the 1-year overall survival of bevacizumab (34.5%) from the Japanese phase 2 study (JO22506) would be 93%.ResultsOf the 50 enrolled patients, 44 (88.0%) had recurrent malignant glioma (glioblastoma, gliosarcoma), and of these, 26 (59.1%) had at least one measurable lesion at baseline. The Bayesian posterior mean 1-year overall survival (90% Bayesian credible intervals) with nivolumab was 54.4% (42.27–66.21), and the Bayesian posterior probability of exceeding the threshold of the 1-year overall survival rate of bevacizumab (34.5%) was 99.7%. Median (90% confidence interval) overall and progression-free survival was 13.1 (10.4–17.7) and 1.5 (1.4–1.5) months, respectively. One partial response was observed (objective response rate 1/26 evaluable patients [3.8%]). Treatment-related adverse event rates were 14.0% for Grade 3–4 and 2.0% for Grade 5; most adverse events resolved and were manageable.ConclusionsThe 1-year overall survival with nivolumab monotherapy in Japanese patients with glioblastoma met the prespecified efficacy criterion. The safety profile of nivolumab was consistent with that observed in other tumor types.Clinical Trial RegistrationJapicCTI-152967.

Real-world safety of nivolumab in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer in Japan: Postmarketing surveillance.

Postmarketing surveillance of Japanese patients with unresectable, previously treated, advanced or recurrent non‐small‐cell lung cancer treated with nivolumab was undertaken during the conditional approval period. The study aim was to evaluate the occurrence of treatment‐related adverse events of nivolumab in the real world. Patients were registered between December 2015 and March 2016 at 536 sites. Nivolumab was given intravenously (3 mg/kg every 2 weeks); the observation period was 12 months after the first dose of nivolumab. Patients were evaluated for safety (n = 3601; 18.2% ≥75 years, 22.4% ECOG performance status ≥2) and effectiveness (n = 3570). The frequencies of any grade and grade 3 or higher treatment‐related adverse events were 47.1% and 15.9%, respectively. The most frequent treatment‐related adverse events (any grade) were interstitial lung disease (6.4%), hypothyroidism (5.7%), and diarrhea (4.4%). Treatment‐related adverse events of special interest (priority items) occurring at a frequency of 5% or more were adverse events related to interstitial lung disease, thyroid dysfunction, liver dysfunction, colitis/severe diarrhea, infusion reaction, and infusion reaction within 24 hours. Significant risk factors for these priority items were identified by competing risk analysis: interstitial lung disease (previous/comorbid interstitial lung disease, abnormal findings on chest imaging, and smoking history); liver dysfunction (previous/comorbid liver disease, smoking history, and metastasis); thyroid dysfunction (previous/comorbid thyroid disease and performance status); and colitis/severe diarrhea (treatment line 2 vs ≥3). The 12‐month survival rate was 40.7%. In conclusion, the safety profile of nivolumab in this postmarketing surveillance was similar to that in clinical trials, and no new safety signals were identified. The study was registered with the Japan Pharmaceutical Information Center (clinicaltrials.jp: Japic‐163271).

Abstract CT003: Nivolumab (NIVO) + platinum-doublet chemotherapy (chemo) vs chemo as neoadjuvant treatment (tx) for resectable (IB-IIIA) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the phase 3 CheckMate 816 trial

Abstract Background In patients (pts) with non-metastatic NSCLC, surgery has curative potential but 30-80% who undergo resection experience recurrence. Neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemo is recommended for pts with high recurrence risk; however, benefits are modest and pathological complete response (pCR) with neoadjuvant chemo is low. Although immunotherapy targeting the PD-1 pathway has shown survival benefits in metastatic NSCLC, phase 3 trial results in resectable disease are yet to be reported. Recently, neoadjuvant NIVO, alone or in combination with chemo, has shown encouraging pCR rates in single-arm phase 2 studies. Here, we report the final analysis of one of the primary endpoints, pCR, of CheckMate 816 (NCT02998528)-a randomized, phase 3, open-label study evaluating NIVO + chemo vs chemo as neoadjuvant tx for resectable NSCLC. Methods Adults with clinical stage IB (≥ 4 cm)-IIIA (per AJCC 7th ed), resectable NSCLC, ECOG PS 0-1, and no known EGFR/ALK alterations were randomized to either NIVO 360 mg + platinum-doublet chemo Q3W or chemo Q3W for 3 cycles, followed by surgery. Stratification was by disease stage (IB/II vs IIIA), PD-L1 (≥ 1% or &amp;lt; 1%), and sex. pCR by blinded independent pathological review (BIPR) and event-free survival by blinded independent central review (BICR) are the primary endpoints. pCR was defined as 0% viable tumor cells in resected lung and lymph nodes; pts who did not undergo surgery were counted as non-responders. Overall survival, major pathological response (MPR; ≤ 10% viable tumor in both lung and lymph nodes) per BIPR, and time to death or distant metastases are secondary endpoints. Key exploratory endpoints are objective response rate (ORR) per BICR and potential predictive biomarkers including PD-L1 and tumor mutational burden (TMB). Results Baseline characteristics were balanced between arms (n = 179 each). Neoadjuvant NIVO + chemo significantly increased pCR rates vs chemo in the intent-to-treat population (ITT) (24.0% vs 2.2%; odds ratio 13.94 [99% CI 3.49-55.75]; P &amp;lt; 0.0001). Improvement in pCR with NIVO + chemo vs chemo was consistent across key subgroups including disease stage (IB/II [26.2% vs 4.8%]; ≥ IIIA [23.0% vs 0.9%]), PD-L1 (&amp;lt; 1% [16.7% vs 2.6%]; ≥ 1% [32.6% vs 2.2%]), and TMB (low [22.4% vs 1.9%]; high [30.8% vs 2.7%]). NIVO + chemo also improved MPR rates vs chemo in the ITT (36.9% vs 8.9%), as well as ORR (53.6% vs 37.4%) and radiographic down-staging rates (30.7% vs 23.5%). Definitive surgery occurred for 83.2% of pts treated with NIVO + chemo and 75.4% with chemo; surgery was cancelled rarely due to AEs (2 pts/arm) and due to disease progression in 12 and 17 pts, respectively. Grade 3-4 tx-related AEs and grade 3-4 surgery-related AEs were reported in 33.5% vs 36.9% and 11.4% vs 14.8% of pts in the NIVO + chemo vs chemo arms, respectively. Conclusions CheckMate 816 met its first primary endpoint with a statistically significant improvement in pCR with neoadjuvant NIVO + chemo vs chemo alone per independent review. The safety profile of NIVO + chemo was consistent with the known profile of this combination regimen, and the addition of NIVO did not decrease the ability to perform surgery. CheckMate 816 is the first positive phase 3 trial demonstrating a significant improvement in pathologic response with neoadjuvant immunotherapy plus chemo in resectable NSCLC. Citation Format: Patrick M. Forde, Jonathan Spicer, Shun Lu, Mariano Provencio, Tetsuya Mitsudomi, Mark M. Awad, Enriqueta Felip, Stephen Broderick, Julie Brahmer, Scott J. Swanson, Keith Kerr, Changli Wang, Gene B. Saylors, Fumihiro Tanaka, Hiroyuki Ito, Ke-Neng Chen, Cecile Dorange, Junliang Cai, Joseph Fiore, Nicholas Girard. Nivolumab (NIVO) + platinum-doublet chemotherapy (chemo) vs chemo as neoadjuvant treatment (tx) for resectable (IB-IIIA) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the phase 3 CheckMate 816 trial [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr CT003.

PS01.11 Nivolumab Versus Placebo in Relapsed Malignant Mesothelioma: The CONFIRM Phase 3 Trial

Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is an intractable cancer. No therapy has yet shown an improvement in overall survival following standard first line chemotherapy doublet comprising pemetrexed and cisplatin or carboplatin since it was licensed in 2004. Nivolumab is a programmed death-1 (PD-1) inhibitor that has shown activity in previously-treated MM in two single arm phase II clinical trials. Here we report results of the Stand-Up-To-Cancer Cancer Research UK CONFIRM trial (NCT03063450), a double blind phase 3 randomized study of nivolumab versus placebo in patients with unresectable MM. We are reporting preliminary data based on the recommendation of the independent data monitoring committee and trial steering committee. Adult patients with previously treated, unresectable, histologically confirmed MM (pleural or peritoneal) and ECOG performance status 0–1 were randomized (2:1 ratio) to nivolumab (3 mg/kg) or placebo once every 2 weeks until disease progression or a maximum of 12 months. Participants were stratified by epithelioid vs non-epithelioid histology. The co-primary endpoints were investigator-assessed progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS); key secondary endpoints included best overall response. Exploratory endpoints included safety and tolerability. PDL1 tumour proportion score (Dako22C3) was evaluated on all available tumour blocks. Between 10/05/2017 and 30/03/2020, 332 participants were randomised to nivolumab (n=221) or placebo (n=111). Baseline characteristics were balanced between arms, where 87% of participants had an epithelioid histology and 96% were were 3rd line or greater. OS was immature but showed longer survival with nivolumab (events 232 [target 291]; median, 9.2 vs 6.6 months; HR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.55–0.94; P=0.02). Investigator-assessed PFS (time-to-event) was longer for nivolumab vs placebo (events=309; median, 3.0 vs 1.8 months; HR 0.62; 95% CI, 0.49–0.78; P<0.001). Both were statistically significant under the Fallback procedure for maintaining overall type 1 error. Grade 3-4 treatment-related adverse events were reported in 19% on nivolumab and in 6.3% on placebo. Treatment discontinuation due to toxicity occurred in 13.1% (nivolumab) versus 2.7% (placebo). Predictive and prognostic significance of PDL1 TPS and outcome by histology will be presented. CONFIRM met its co-primary endpoints of improved OS and PFS with nivolumab vs placebo in relapsed MM. The safety profile of nivolumab was consistent with its known profile with no new safety signals. Nivolumab monotherapy is an effective treatment option for relapsed MM.

Effectiveness and safety of nivolumab in patients with advanced melanoma: A multicenter, observational study

This retrospective observational study aimed to determine the effectiveness, safety and patterns of the use of nivolumab in patients with advanced melanoma in real-world clinical practice in France using data from a Temporary Authorization for Use Program (ATU). Data were collected from patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma enrolled in a French national database (Réseau pour la Recherche et l'Investigation Clinique sur le Mélanome: Ric-Mel) and treated with nivolumab during the ATU program (12 September 2014 to 31 August 2015). The primary objectives of the study were to evaluate the effect of patient characteristics on clinical response and overall survival (OS). Among 400 included patients (median age 66 years), the majority (83%) received nivolumab as second- or subsequent-line therapy. The median durations of progression-free survival and OS were 3.3 and 14.1 months, respectively, and 31.6% of patients achieved an objective response with a median duration of 20.1 months (range: 0-34.7). The safety profile of nivolumab was manageable and consistent with those of previous clinical trials, with an incidence of grade 3-5 adverse events of 13.8%. The safety and effectiveness of nivolumab in patients with advanced melanoma in real-world clinical practice in France were in line with the data reported in the Phase 3 trials CheckMate 066 and 037 of nivolumab in this patient population.

Benefit-Risk Summary of Nivolumab for the Treatment of Patients with Unresectable Advanced, Recurrent, or Metastatic Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma After Prior Fluoropyrimidine- and Platinum-Based Chemotherapy.

On June 10, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved nivolumab (OPDIVO; Bristol Myers Squibb, New York, NY) for the treatment of patients with unresectable advanced, recurrent, or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) after prior fluoropyrimidine- and platinum-based chemotherapy. Approval was based on the results of a single, randomized, active-control study (ATTRACTION-3) that randomized patients to receive nivolumab or investigator's choice of taxane chemotherapy (docetaxel or paclitaxel). The study demonstrated a significant improvement in overall survival (OS; hazard ratio = 0.77; 95% confidence interval: 0.62-0.96; p = .0189) with an estimated median OS of 10.9 months in the nivolumab arm compared with 8.4 months in the chemotherapy arm. Overall, fewer patients in the nivolumab arm experienced treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) of any grade, grade 3-4 TEAEs, and serious adverse events compared with the control arm. The safety profile of nivolumab in patients with ESCC was generally similar to the known safety profile of nivolumab in other cancer types with the following exception: esophageal fistula was identified as a new, clinically significant risk in patients with ESCC treated with nivolumab. Additionally, the incidence of pneumonitis was higher in the ESCC population than in patients with other cancer types who are treated with nivolumab. This article summarizes the FDA review of the data supporting the approval of nivolumab for the treatment of ESCC. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The approval of nivolumab for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable advanced, recurrent, or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) after prior fluoropyrimidine- and platinum-based chemotherapy was based on an overall survival (OS) benefit from a randomized, open-label, active-controlled study called ATTRACTION-3. Prior to this study, no drug or combination regimen had demonstrated an OS benefit in a randomized study for patients with ESCC after prior fluoropyrimidine- and platinum-based chemotherapy.

Efficacy and safety of Nivolumab in older patients with pretreated lung cancer: A subgroup analysis of the Galician lung cancer group

BackgroundNivolumab is an anti PD1 immunotherapy drug approved for advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) patients who previously received at least one prior line of treatment. Older patients are often not represented in clinical trials and drugs with acceptable safety profiles are necessary. We aim to report the efficacy and safety profile of Nivolumab in the real-world older subgroup of the Galician lung cancer group study. Patients and MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed 188 advanced NSCLC patients treated with at least one prior therapy. We collected data from patients who were ≥70 years old treated with Nivolumab in second or subsequent lines. Patient characteristics, treatment efficacy (overall survival, progression-free survival, and response rate), and safety profile were reported. ResultsThirty-eight patients aged ≥70 years were included in the subgroup analysis. The median age was 74.5 years, a high percentage of patients were males (95%), most had a Performance Status of 1 (79%) and only 13% were non-smokers. The predominant histology was adenocarcinoma (53%), and 18% of patients received 2 or more lines. The median Progression-Free Survival was 7.53 months (CI 4.3–17.3, p = 0.15) and the median Overall Survival was 14.85 months (CI 10.5–20.7, p = 0.44). The objective response rate was 42%. No new adverse events were reported in comparison to a global population. ConclusionsThe efficacy and safety profile of Nivolumab in advanced NSCLC patients treated with at least one prior therapy and age ≥70 years old can be overlapped to a global population. Further prospective trials are needed to define and confirm these results.

Effect of Nivolumab vs Bevacizumab in Patients With Recurrent Glioblastoma

Clinical outcomes for glioblastoma remain poor. Treatment with immune checkpoint blockade has shown benefits in many cancer types. To our knowledge, data from a randomized phase 3 clinical trial evaluating a programmed death-1 (PD-1) inhibitor therapy for glioblastoma have not been reported. To determine whether single-agent PD-1 blockade with nivolumab improves survival in patients with recurrent glioblastoma compared with bevacizumab. In this open-label, randomized, phase 3 clinical trial, 439 patients with glioblastoma at first recurrence following standard radiation and temozolomide therapy were enrolled, and 369 were randomized. Patients were enrolled between September 2014 and May 2015. The median follow-up was 9.5 months at data cutoff of January 20, 2017. The study included 57 multicenter, multinational clinical sites. Patients were randomized 1:1 to nivolumab 3 mg/kg or bevacizumab 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks until confirmed disease progression, unacceptable toxic effects, or death. The primary end point was overall survival (OS). A total of 369 patients were randomized to nivolumab (n = 184) or bevacizumab (n = 185). The MGMT promoter was methylated in 23.4% (43/184; nivolumab) and 22.7% (42/185; bevacizumab), unmethylated in 32.1% (59/184; nivolumab) and 36.2% (67/185; bevacizumab), and not reported in remaining patients. At median follow-up of 9.5 months, median OS (mOS) was comparable between groups: nivolumab, 9.8 months (95% CI, 8.2-11.8); bevacizumab, 10.0 months (95% CI, 9.0-11.8); HR, 1.04 (95% CI, 0.83-1.30); P = .76. The 12-month OS was 42% in both groups. The objective response rate was higher with bevacizumab (23.1%; 95% CI, 16.7%-30.5%) vs nivolumab (7.8%; 95% CI, 4.1%-13.3%). Grade 3/4 treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were similar between groups (nivolumab, 33/182 [18.1%]; bevacizumab, 25/165 [15.2%]), with no unexpected neurological TRAEs or deaths due to TRAEs. Although the primary end point was not met in this randomized clinical trial, mOS was comparable between nivolumab and bevacizumab in the overall patient population with recurrent glioblastoma. The safety profile of nivolumab in patients with glioblastoma was consistent with that in other tumor types. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02017717.