Dr. Lipson on the Impact of Preoperative Nivolumab Plus Relatlimab in NSCLC

Evan J. Lipson, MD, associate professor of oncology at Johns Hopkins University, discusses the effect of preoperative nivolumab plus relatlimab (Opdualag) in resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

The ongoing phase 2 NEOpredict-Lung study (NCT04205552) is evaluating 4 weeks of neoadjuvant immunotherapy with nivolumab (Opdivo) alone, or nivolumab plus relatlimab, in patients with early stage or locally advanced NSCLC eligible for curative resection.

The primary objective of the study is to examine if patients reach resection following treatment, and data presented at the 2022 ESMO Congress showed that surgery found to be feasible for all patients in both arms, Lipson explains. A key secondary end point is the investigation of the factors driving patients’ responses, Lipson adds.

Notably, relatlimab was given at a low dose, similar to what patients received in the phase 2/3 RELATIVITY-047 trial (NCT03470922), which led to the FDA approval of relatlimab plus nivolumab for unresectable or metastatic melanoma, Lipson continues. However, relatlimab has been investigated at higher doses in expansion trials, leading to an increased occupancy on peripheral CD8-positive T-cells, Lipson emphasizes. An amendment to the NEOpredict-Lung study will allow for an increased dose of relatlimab, Lipson concludes.