Dr. Ramalingam on Next Steps With Nivolumab/Ipilimumab in NSCLC

Suresh S. Ramalingam, MD, FASCO, deputy director, ​director, Lung Cancer Program, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Roberto C. Goizueta Distinguished Chair for Cancer Research, professor, assistant dean for cancer research, director, Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine, discusses the utility of nivolumab (Opdivo) plus ipilimumab (Yervoy) in metastatic or recurrent non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

In May 2020, the FDA approved the combination of nivolumab (Opdivo) plus ipilimumab (Yervoy) for the frontline treatment of patients with PD-L1–positive metastatic NSCLC based on findings from the phase 3 CheckMate-227 trial. This provides patients with a chemotherapy-free option that has the ability to prolong survival, says Ramalingam.

The next step is to evaluate the combination in other settings of NSCLC, such as in the stage III setting wherein patients receive concurrent chemoradiation followed by consolidative immunotherapy, explains Ramalingam.

Additionally, this ​regimen may serve as a backbone for other novel agents to build upon, Ramalingam concludes.