KOL Views: How does Opdivo’s stumble shift the balance of power in SCLC?

Opdivo (nivolumab) is the only anti-PD-(L)1 mAb approved for use in treating small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), and yet it is also – as of last week’s unveiling of CheckMate-331 results – the only drug in the class to have failed a well-controlled Phase III trial for the indication. This begs the questions of how significant a setback this will be for Bristol-Myers Squibb, and how physicians will decide to use the various options at their disposal?

To provide FirstWord readers with rapid feedback on these questions and more, we are hosting an expert call with a key opinion leader (KOL) this week.

Key topics that will be discussed during the call include, among other things… how much of a surprise is it that Opdivo failed to improve overall survival (OS) in CheckMate-331; the study compared Opdivo as monotherapy against chemotherapy – do the results raise doubts about the drug’s utility in SCLC or is it more likely the study design and single agent use lead to the disappointing performance; are there any data for Roche’s Tecentriq (atezolizumab), Merck & Co.’s Keytruda (pembrolizumab) and AstraZeneca’s Imfinzi (durvalumab) that would suggest one or more of the other drugs being tested in SCLC might be more effective than the others; how have you been using PD-(L)1 inhibitors in SCLC and will that change going forward; do you expect that Opdivo will succeed in the CheckMate-451 trial as front-line maintenance therapy; was Bristol-Myers Squibb’s decision not to run a trial of Opdivo as true first-line therapy a mistake; is there any possible read-across for Opdivo from SCLC to non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC)?

Ask the expert!

Furthermore, we invite FirstWord Pharma readers to submit their own questions for consideration. Please click here to do so. We can't guarantee that all questions submitted will be asked due to time constraints, but we will do our utmost to cover the important issues relating to the commercial prospects for PD-(L)1 inhibitors in SCLC.

We endeavour to provide feedback from KOLs as quickly as possible. Interview content will be published for FirstWord Pharma PLUS subscribers to read. To be notified when the interview content is available please click here.

To ensure access to all KOL Views content, click here to upgrade your FirstWord Pharma service or contact us to discuss your market intelligence needs.

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