Biotech Values

[DewDiligence]

Re: Ipilimumab results in 2nd-line melanoma

The median overall survival was 10.0 months among patients receiving ipilimumab plus gp100, as compared with 6.4 months among patients receiving gp100 alone (hazard ratio for death, 0.68; P<0.001). The median overall survival with ipilimumab alone was 10.1 months (hazard ratio for death in the comparison with gp100 alone, 0.66; P=0.003). No difference in overall survival was detected between the ipilimumab groups (hazard ratio with ipilimumab plus gp100, 1.04; P=0.76).

This is exactly what BMY was hoping for: the gp100 vaccine adds nothing to survival nor does it subtract from survival—it’s effectively a placebo. All of the observed benefit can thus be attributed to Ipilimumab.