Dr. Moon on the FDA Approval of Relatlimab Plus Nivolumab in Metastatic Melanoma

Helen Heng-Shan Moon, MD, hematologist, oncologist, Kaiser Permanente Riverside Medical Center, discusses the FDA approval of relatlimab plus nivolumab (Opdualag) in patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma.

In March of 2022, the FDA approved the fixed-dose combination of relatlimab plus nivolumab in adult and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older with unresectable or metastatic melanoma.

Combination ipilimumab (Yervoy) and nivolumab is currently offered for patients with advanced melanoma, though this regimen can produce high-grade adverse effects (AEs), Moon says. Nivolumab monotherapy can be recommended for patients who may not tolerate the AEs associated with the combination, despite the single agent being inferior to the combination therapy, Moon explains.

The FDA approval of relatlimab and nivolumab provides another combination option for this patient population, Moon continues. It is difficult to compare the efficacy of the 2 combinations without a head-to-head trial; however, the relatlimab plus nivolumab represents a safer treatment option in terms of AEs, Moon adds.

Relatlimab plus nivolumab is now an alternative doublet for patients with metastatic melanoma who would have been candidates for single-agent nivolumab, Moon concludes.