
BMS highlights Yervoy survival data
pharmafile | October 1, 2012 | News story | Research and Development, Sales and Marketing | BMS, Roche, Yervoy, Zelboraf
Bristol-Myers Squibb’s melanoma drug Yervoy helps patients survive for longer than if they are receiving standard chemotherapy alone, according to new data from the firm.
These are the findings from long-term follow-up to a Phase III trial for Yervoy (ipilimumab) in metastatic melanoma patients, presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2012 Congress.
The new data from trial 024 shows that 19.0% of treatment-naïve patients receiving Yervoy at the investigational dose of 10 mg/kg plus chemotherapy agent dacarbazine, were alive at four years versus 9.6% of patients taking dacarbazine alone.
Overall survival data was relatively stable between years three and four for patients taking Yervoy and dacarbazine (21.2% at three years and 19.0% at four years) and BMS says few new immune-related adverse events occurred beyond two years of treatment.
The three and four-year survival rates for patients treated with placebo plus dacarbazine were 12.1% and 9.6% respectively.
BMS will hope that such findings help build a body of evidence to persuade authorities that Yervoy’s high cost is worth it: it is currently the most expensive melanoma immunotherapy – £80,000 for a full course of treatment – and is not recommended by NICE.
The drug, which had sales of $316 million in the first half of 2012, was among the shortlisted brands for this year’s prestigious Prix Galien, although it did not win an award.
Metastatic melanoma is one of the most aggressive forms of cancer, whose historical five-year survival rate is less than 10% in patients with distant metastasis, and it is an area which appeals to pharma companies.
Roche’s Zelboraf (vemurafenib) is currently licensed to treat BRAF positive melanoma patients. Yervoy received the European licence for the treatment of advanced melanoma in adults who have received prior therapy, and was the first to show increased overall survival in this patient population.
GlaxoSmithKline, meanwhile, is seeking approval for two investigational drugs, BRAF inhibitor dabrafenib and MEK inhibitor trametinib, to treat patients with BRAF V600 mutation positive metastatic melanoma.
The manufacturer is currently conducting a head-head Phase III trial with both against Zelboraf, results of which are expected next year.
Adam Hill
Related Content

Roche receives CE Mark for blood test to help rule out Alzheimer’s
Roche has been granted CE Mark approval for its Elecsys pTau181 test, the first in …

Roche candidate shows early promise for treating haemophilia A
Roche has announced encouraging early results from its phase 1/2 trial of NXT007, an investigational …

Roche advances treatment for Parkinson’s disease
Swiss biopharma, Roche, has announced its decision to proceed with phase 3 trials of prasinezumab, …






