Dr. Wolchok on Updated CheckMate-067 Results for Melanoma

Jedd D. Wolchok, MD, PhD, chief, Melanoma and Immunotherapeutics Service, Department of Medicine and Ludwig Center at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses the updated findings from the CheckMate-067 trial, which explored nivolumab (Opdivo) combined with ipilimumab (Yervoy) in treatment-naïve patients with advanced melanoma.

Previous data demonstrated that the combination elicited a significant benefit with regard to progression-free survival compared with either agent alone, Wolchok explains. This was associated with a 26% reduction in the risk of progression or death with the combination versus nivolumab alone.

Updated findings show that there is a 24% reduction in the risk of progression or death with nivolumab/ipilimumab compared with nivolumab monotherapy, Wolchok adds. Additionally, with longer follow-up, the median duration of response has not yet been reached with the combination. The median duration of response is 22 months and 14 months for nivolumab and ipilimumab alone, respectively.