Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Combo Drug gets FDA Approval

July 13, 2018  Source: FiercePharma 4,353

Bristol-Myers Squibb’s recent immunotherapy combo won FDA approval for patients with a rare colon cancer. The combinational medicine was formulated between an older medicine named Yervoy and a new cancer-fighter Opdivo. This combo drug focuses on repairing the mismatch gene.

Between 4% or 5% of colorectal cancer patients have this mismatch gene issue, which doesn’t get corrected by conventional chemotherapy.

Last summer, Opdivo gained FDA approval but, the company believes that this combo drug is more effective than solo Opdivo. This FDA approval was based upon the remarkable result of a clinical trial, where 55% of patients responded to this Opdivo-Yervoy pairing. Only 31% of patients responded by taking Opdivo alone.

Bristol-Myers hopes that this FDA approved cocktail drug could treat colorectal cancer better than its Merck’s Keytruda. Opdivo and Keytruda are both in the race to gain market shares and add new approvals in other cancer types.

Opdivo was effective in liver cancer treatments and has already won an indication but last week, the FDA granted a priority review for Keytruda in treating liver cancer. If it gets approval, it will enter the race with Opdivo.

 

By Ddu
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