FDA accepts for priority review BMS’s application for Opdivo in previously treated hepatocellular ca

Application is based on results from the Phase I/II CheckMate -040 trial.

Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) has announced that the FDA has accepted a supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) that seeks 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 24 September 2017.

"We believe the FDA acceptance of our 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," said Ian M. Waxman, development lead, Gastrointestinal Cancers, BMS. "We 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."

The submission was based on data from the Phase I/II 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 3 June 2017 from 4:45–6:00 PM CDT in Hall D2.