Opdivo gets approval for small cell lung cancer treatment

Surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy were the only options available to date to treat patients with small cell lung cancer. But now Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Opdivo has received approval from the FDA, and becomes the first and only immuno-oncology treatment for small cell lung cancer patients who have received platinum chemotherapy and at least one other form of therapy. It targets and blocks the activity of PD-1, a protein that prevents T cells from recognising and attacking inflamed tissues and cancer cells.

Development lead, thoracic cancers, at BMS, Sabine Maier, said: “We recognise the critical need to provide patients with cancer therapies that may offer more durable responses – particularly for those living with aggressive diseases like small cell lung cancer. This hard-to-treat disease accounts for up to 15% of all lung cancers, and 27,000 cases of SCLC are expected in the US this year. This approval builds on our heritage of bringing immuno-oncology therapies to patients with other types of thoracic cancers. It also reinforces our commitment to bring transformative treatments to patients in urgent need of effective new options.”