Nivolumab (OPDIVO®)

Agent Description

Nivolumab is a human monoclonal antibody that blocks the interaction between PD-1 and its ligands, PD-L1 and PD-L2. Nivolumab is an IgG4 kappa immunoglobulin that has a calculated molecular mass of 146 kDa.

Mechanism of Action

Nivolumab is a human immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4) monoclonal antibody that binds to the PD-1 receptor and blocks its interaction with PD-L1 and PD-L2, releasing PD-1 pathway-mediated inhibition of the immune response, including the anti-tumor immune response. In syngeneic mouse tumor models, blocking PD-1 activity resulted in decreased tumor growth.

Classification

Nivolumab is a programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) blocking antibody.

Molecular Targets

N/A

Monograph

See package insert: http://packageinserts.bms.com/pi/pi_opdivo.pdf

Studies of Interest

Areas of interest:

Non-small cell lung cancer: studies evaluating sequencing, and methods for early assessment of response
Bladder: studies in various lines of therapy with nivolumab or nivolumab/ipilimumab plus standard of care (BCG, chemo)
Renal cell carcinoma: nivolumab plus bevacizumab in first line

Areas NOT of interest:

Nivolumab monotherapy in metastatic melanoma patients
Nivolumab monotherapy in adjuvant stage 3 melanoma patients (exception is special populations like mucosal and uveal)
Nivolumab combinations with radiation in melanoma
Nivolumab plus tyrosine kinase inhibitors in renal cell carcinoma
Nivolumab/ipilimumab/cabozantinib combination in renal cell carcinoma
Nivolumab plus sorafenib in hepatocellular carcinoma
Nivolumab in hepatocellular carcinoma patients potentially eligible for liver transplant
Nivolumab with epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors or anaplastic lymphoma kinase inhibitors, or radiation (but interested in nivolumab with novel therapeutics) in non-small cell lung cancer

Information collaborator would like included in investigator proposals

N/A