US FDA accepted Bristol-Myers Squibb supplemental BLA for use of Opdivo

The US FDA accepted Bristol-Myers Squibb supplemental BLA to extend the use of Opdivo (nivolumab) to patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after prior sorafenib therapy. The FDA granted the application priority review and previously granted Opdivo orphan-drug designation for the treatment of HCC. The FDA action date is September 24, 2017.

The submission was based on data from the Phase 1/2 CheckMate -040 study investigating Opdivo in advanced HCC patients with and without hepatitis B virus or hepatitis C virus infections. Data from this study were recently published in The Lancet and will be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting 2017 during a poster discussion session on June 3, 2017 from 4:45–6:00 PM CDT in Hall D2.

Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Ian M. Waxman said that they believe the FDA acceptance of their application for Opdivo with priority review status is an important recognition of the significant unmet need for patients with HCC, which is often diagnosed in the advanced stage when treatment options are limited. They are committed to exploring new treatment options for these patients and look forward to working with the FDA to potentially extend the use of Opdivo as a treatment option in this setting.

HCC is the most common type of liver cancer and the second most frequent cause of cancer death worldwide. They are caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections, making HBV/HCV the most common risk factors for liver cancer.