Pooled analysis of long-term outcomes with nivolumab plus ipilimumab of nivolumab alone for advanced melanoma

Pooled analysis of six CheckMate studies compared long-term outcomes with the combination of nivolumab plus ipilimumab (NIVO + IPI; n=839) with outcomes with nivolumab monotherapy (NIVO; n=536) among ICI-naïve patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma. Both overall survival and melanoma-specific survival were significantly longer with NIVO + IPI compared with NIVO. Consistent benefit was seen in BRAF-mutant and BRAF-wild-type patients, and those with normal and elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Clinical factors associated with decreased survival were LDH above the upper limit of normal in both groups, age 65 years or older in the NIVO + IPI group, and presence of liver metastases in the NIVO group. The authors conclude that this large nonrandomized retrospective analysis suggests that NIVO + IPI provides longer survival than NIVO in patients with ICI-naïve patients with advanced melanoma.