The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have formed a new clinical research collaboration to evaluate innovative strategies for the potential use of Bristol-Myers Squibb's immuno-oncology (I-O) agents Opdivo (nivolumab) and Yervoy (ipilimumab) to treat early- and advanced-stage lung cancer patients.

The collaboration will help support multiple Phase I and II clinical trials testing Opdivo as monotherapy, in combination with Yervoy, or in regimens with other agents, radiation or surgery in a range of clinical settings. These studies will also incorporate translational work, including exploration of biomarkers to better differentiate responders from non-responders in lung cancer as well as preclinical studies of next generation immunotherapeutic agents that may be used to expand the benefits to larger numbers of patients.

Opdivo is a PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor currently approved in 50 countries globally for the treatment of patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy, and Yervoy is a CTLA-4 immune checkpoint inhibitor approved in 50 countries globally for patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma.

The collaboration will leverage MD Anderson's existing immunotherapy platform, which helps to link immunologic data with the genomic and proteomic platforms across a range of cancer types, and broaden the scientific understanding of I-O via preclinical and clinical studies in lung cancer. Data generated will assist Bristol-Myers Squibb in optimizing I-O combinations for future clinical trials while also enhancing mechanistic understanding of immune system function in mounting of anti-tumor responses.

Source: Bristol-Myers Squibb