Opdivo Disappoints Again in Advanced Kidney Cancer Study

Bristol Myers Squibb's cancer treatment, Opdivo, did not show significant benefits for patients with a type of kidney cancer who were at a high risk of the disease coming back after having surgery. The drug was tested in a study called CheckMate-914, and after more than two years, it did not help patients live longer without the disease compared to a placebo.

The study looked at how well Opdivo worked on its own without other treatments. It was part of a larger study that also tested Opdivo with another drug called Yervoy. However, both parts of the study did not show the improvements that researchers had hoped for.

Not only was Opdivo not more effective than a placebo, but it also caused more side effects. More than 70% of the patients taking Opdivo experienced side effects of any kind, compared to just over 50% in the placebo group. Additionally, serious side effects were also more common in patients taking Opdivo.

The results of this study were shared at a big meeting for cancer doctors in 2024. It's disappointing news for Bristol Myers Squibb because another company, Merck, has a similar drug called Keytruda that has shown good results in treating the same kind of kidney cancer. Keytruda has been shown to reduce the risk of death by 38% in patients who are at a high risk of their cancer coming back after surgery.

This information is important because it helps doctors and patients make decisions about which treatments to use. It also shows how different drugs can have very different effects on patients, and it's crucial to continue researching and improving cancer treatments.