Quick Facts About: Nivolumab

Opdivo

Yes, in 2015.

Metastatic colorectal cancer

Nivolumab is administered intravenously.

Nivolumab is administered in doses of 240 mg or 3 mg/kg with ipilimumab via infusion over 60 minutes at two-week intervals. This continues until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity levels are reached.

Nivolumab may be administered as monotherapy or in combination with ipilimumab to treat metastatic colorectal cancer with high microsatellite instability.

Special precaution is required for the following cases:

• Patients with existing or a history of brain metastases
• Patients with auto-immune disease or under systemic immunosuppression
• Patients with severely impaired liver function
• Pregnancy and lactation
• Presence of other forms of carcinoma

Patients who experience the following severe side effects should seek immediate medical attention.

• Darkening of skin, severe tiredness, unintentional weight loss, salt craving, lightheadedness or fainting
• Rashes with skin peeling or blisters
• Yellowing of the skin or eyes
• Severe diarrhea, blood in stool
• Severe headache, frequent urination
• Pain or burning sensation when urinating, blood in urine
• Swelling in your neck, being sensitive to heat or cold
• Unusual bleeding or bruising
• Mouth sores, frequent and persistent sore throat with fever

Nivolumab is a monoclonal antibody.

Nivolumab is a human immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4) monoclonal antibody which binds to immunoregulatory protein programmed death-1 (PD-1) receptors.

PD-1 ligands are overexpressed on the surface of tumor cells and lead to the activation of PD-1, which suppresses cytotoxic T-cell activity. Nivolumab blocks the interaction between PD-1 and its ligands and enhances the immune response to tumor cells.