Bristol-Myers Squibb remains committed to Opdivo-Yervoy combo lung cancer treatment

PRINCETON, N.J. — Despite word a week ago that Bristol-Myers Squibb will not seek accelerated regulatory approval for a combination of its Opdivo (nivolumab) and Yervoy (ipilimumab) as a first-line treatment for lung cancer, the company asserted it is committed to the development of the drug combination.

“We have a broad front-line lung cancer program, which we expanded and strengthened over the last several months. We have four combination front-line lung studies that are ongoing. These studies are designed with the optionality we build into all of our studies,” Bristol-Myers CEO Giovanni Caforio said Thursday during the company’s 2016 fourth-quarter earnings conference call. “We are committed to the development of the combination of Yervoy plus Opdivo. As you know, the competitive landscape in this space has changed over the last nine to 12 months, and it could very well change again based on future data readouts. We believe through our broad development program we have an opportunity to play a meaningful role in the treatment of patients in the first-line lung cancer setting. And with this in mind, our [research and development] team is focused and well-resourced in front-line lung, and is constantly looking for ways to strengthen our program and bring forward new treatments.”

Caforio added lung cancer treatment is very important to the company, but it will also focus on a broad set of priorities beyond lung cancer in 2017.

Outside of oncology, said Caforio: “We will build on the strength of the brands we've established, with Eliquis and Orencia in the near term. Longer term, we are advancing our efforts to diversify our portfolio with new pipeline agents in heart failure, immunoscience and fibrosis.”

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the regimen of Opdivo and Yervoy as a treatment for metastatic melanoma in October 2015.