A phase 3 trial evaluating Bristol Myers Squibb’s (BMS) Opdivo (nivolumab) as a single agent in the adjuvant setting for patients with completely resected stage 2B/C melanoma has offered positive results.

CheckMate-76K was a randomised, double-blind study that evaluated Opdivo 480mg when administered every four weeks for up to 12 months, compared to placebo.

The trial met its primary endpoint and improved recurrence-free survival versus placebo. No new safety signals were observed at the time of the analysis.

Key secondary endpoints of the trial include overall survival, distant metastases-free survival, progression- free survival on next-line therapy and safety endpoints.

Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that develops when pigment- producing cells located in the skin grow uncontrollably. The incidence of melanoma has been increasing steadily for the last 30 years, with 99,780 new diagnoses of melanoma and about 7,650 related deaths estimated in the US alone in 2022.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that by 2035, over 424,000 will be diagnosed with melanoma globally, resulting in over 94,000 related deaths.

Opdivo is a programmed death-1 (PD-1) immune checkpoint inhibitor, designed to assist the body’s natural T-cell response to cancer by improving its ability to recognise and destroy cancerous cells.