Bristol Myers Squibb Receives European Commission Approval for Opdivo® (nivolumab) plus Yervoy® (ipilimumab) for the First-Line Treatment of Adult Patients with Microsatellite Instability–High or Mismatch Repair Deficient Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

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Approval based on results of the Phase 3 CheckMate -8HW trial, in which the dual immunotherapy combination of Opdivo plus Yervoy demonstrated statistically significant and clinically meaningful reduction in the risk of disease progression or death compared to investigator’s choice of chemotherapy

With this approval, Opdivo plus Yervoy is the first dual checkpoint inhibitor treatment approved in the European Union for the first-line treatment of MSI-H/dMMR mCRC

PRINCETON, N.J., December 23, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) today announced that the European Commission (EC) has approved Opdivo® (nivolumab) plus Yervoy® (ipilimumab) for the first-line treatment of adult patients with microsatellite instability–high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) unresectable or metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).

"Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in Europe and patients are in need of new treatment options that delay disease progression. Approximately 5-7% of metastatic colorectal cancer patients have MSI-H/dMMR tumors and these patients are less likely to benefit from conventional chemotherapy and typically have poor prognosis outcomes," said Dana Walker, M.D., M.S.C.E., vice president, Opdivo global program lead, Bristol Myers Squibb. "The EC’s decision to approve Opdivo plus Yervoy represents a significant milestone for this patient population in the European Union and underscores our commitment to advancing treatment options."

The decision is based on results from the CheckMate -8HW trial, which were presented at medical congresses earlier this year. These data formed the basis for the Company’s application to the European Medicines Agency (EMA). In the study, Opdivo plus Yervoy demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in the dual primary endpoint of progression-free survival (PFS) and reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 79% compared to the investigator’s choice of chemotherapy as assessed by Blinded Independent Central Review (BICR). The safety profile for the dual immunotherapy combination remained consistent with previously reported data and was manageable with established protocols, with no new safety signals identified.

This approval by the EC for Opdivo plus Yervoy for the first-line treatment of adult patients with MSI-H or dMMR unresectable or mCRC is valid in all 27 member states of the European Union (EU), as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. In addition to approval in colorectal cancer, Opdivo-based options are also approved for treatment of multiple tumor types in the EU.