Efficacy and safety in key patient subgroups of nivolumab (NIVO) alone or combined with ipilimumab (IPI) versus IPI alone in treatment-naïve patients with advanced melanoma (MEL) (CheckMate 067) (#204)
Aims: Phase III study CheckMate 067 reported improved progression-free survival (PFS) with NIVO + IPI vs IPI alone. Here, we report results of subgroup analyses in this trial.
Methods: Treatment-naïve MEL pts (N=945) were randomized 1:1:1 to receive NIVO (3 mg/kg Q2W) + placebo (PBO), or NIVO + IPI (1 mg/kg + 3 mg/kg Q3W X 4) followed by NIVO 3 mg/kg Q2W, or to IPI (3 mg/kg Q3W X 4) + PBO until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. PFS, a co-primary endpoint, was evaluated in predefined subgroups.
Results: In the total population, median PFS was 11.5 months for NIVO + IPI vs 2.9 months for IPI alone (hazard ratio [HR] vs IPI, 0.42; P<0.00001), and was 6.9 months for NIVO alone (HR vs IPI, 0.57; P<0.00001). Numerically longer PFS was observed with the combination vs NIVO or IPI alone in all predefined subgroups, including baseline lactate dehydrogenase ˃upper limit of normal (NIVO + IPI: 4.2 months [95% CI: 2.8–9.3] vs NIVO: 2.8 months [95% CI: 2.6–4.0] vs IPI: 2.6 months [95% CI: 2.6–2.8]) and age <65 (NIVO + IPI: 11.7 months [95% CI: 7.0–not reached] vs NIVO: 5.5 months [95% CI: 3.0–8.3] vs IPI: 2.8 months [95% CI: 2.8–3.1]).
The incidence of drug-related grade 3–4 adverse events was 55.0%, 16.3% and 27.3% in the NIVO + IPI, NIVO and IPI groups, respectively. Across pt subgroups, the safety profile was consistent with that observed in the overall safety population.
Conclusions: In pts with treatment-naïve MEL, NIVO + IPI and NIVO alone significantly improved PFS across predefined subgroups. The safety profile of the combination was manageable across subgroups of pts.
Reused with permission from the European Cancer Congress (ECC). This abstract was accepted at the 2015 ECC Annual Meeting. All rights reserved.