Dr. Tawbi on the Utilization of Relatlimab and Nivolumab in Metastatic Melanoma

Hussein A. Tawbi, MD, PhD, director of Melanoma Clinical Research and Early Drug Development and Personalized Cancer Therapy, deputy chair and professor, Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the utilization of relatlimab plus nivolumab (Opdualag) in unresectable or metastatic melanoma.

The phase 2/3 RELATIVITY-047 trial (NCT03470922) evaluated the efficacy of relatlimab in combination with nivolumab vs nivolumab alone in the treatment of metastatic melanoma.

In March of 2022, the FDA approved the fixed-dose combination of relatlimab plus nivolumab in patients 12 years of age or older with unresectable or metastatic melanoma, based on the data from RELATIVITY-047.

At about 19 months of follow-up, the combination has provided a consistent benefit in progression free survival (PFS), compared with nivolumab alone, with a hazard ratio showing about a 25% improvement in PFS, Tawbi says. Moreover, the combination elicited an objective response rate of about 43%, vs 30% with nivolumab alone, Tawbi explains. There also appears to be a 20% improvement in overall survival (OS) with the combination, though these data are not statistically significant yet, Tawbi adds.

After 19 months of follow-up, there is the potential to impact the OS in a space where OS is typically around 6 years, Tawbi concludes.