Nivolumab in combination with ipilimumab FDA accelerated approaval’s regardless of adverse reactions.
Among the 140 patients with BRAF V600 wild-type or mutation-positive melanoma who received at least one dose of nivolumab or ipilimumab, serious adverse reactions (62% vs. 39%), adverse reactions leading to permanent discontinuation (43% vs. 11%) or dose delay (47% vs. 22%), and grade 3 or 4 adverse reactions (69% vs. 43%) all occurred more frequently in patients receiving the combination (n= 94) compared with those receiving single-agent ipilimumab (n=46). The most frequent serious adverse reactions in patients receiving the combination were colitis (17%), diarrhea (9%), pyrexia (6%), and pneumonitis (5%). Additional clinically significant immune-mediated adverse reactions included pneumonitis, hepatitis, endocrinopathies, nephritis/renal dysfunction, and rash.
Common adverse reactions (greater than or equal to 20%) in patients receiving nivolumab plus ipilimumab were rash, pruritus, headache, vomiting, and colitis. The most frequent grade 3 and 4 laboratory abnormalities occurring in at least 5% of patients receiving the combination were increased ALT, increased AST, increased lipase, increased amylase, hyponatremia, and lymphopenia.
A growing number of clinical trials and the results already available underline the strong potential of DNA electroporation which combines both safety and efficiency. Immunopulse platform is working on dealing with the adverse events while trying to improve on the amount of responders.
