Bristol-Myers Squibb Says CHMP Recommends Approval Of Opdivo - Quick Facts

(RTTNews) - Biopharmaceutical company Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (BMY) announced Tuesday that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recommended approval of Opdivo (nivolumab) flat dosing schedule of 240 mg infused over 30 minutes every two weeks (Q2W) or 480 mg infused over 60 minutes every four weeks (Q4W).

This is recommended for the adjuvant treatment of adult patients with melanoma with involvement of lymph nodes or metastatic disease who have undergone complete resection.

The CHMP recommendation will now be reviewed by the European Commission (EC), which has the authority to approve medicines for the European Union (EU).

Opdivo is a programmed death-1 (PD-1) immune checkpoint inhibitor that is designed to uniquely harness the body's own immune system to help restore anti-tumor immune response.

Melanoma is a form of skin cancer characterized by the uncontrolled growth of pigment-producing cells (melanocytes) located in the skin. Metastatic melanoma is the deadliest form of the disease and occurs when cancer spreads beyond the surface of the skin to other organs.