Delving into Subcutaneous Versus Intravenous Opdivo in Solid Tumors

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the subcutaneous injection formulation of Opdivo Qvantig (nivolumab and hyaluronidase-nvhy) for patients with solid tumors has the potential to benefit patients in many ways, according to Dr. Balazs Halmos, who adds that this may be a significant advancement for patients eligible for treatment.

“Traditionally, this medicine has to be given through the IV [intravenous], and it's nice to see a new wave of improving the quality of care for patients by allowing some of these medicines to be given subcutaneously, meaning under the skin,” he stated in an interview with CURE®.

In the interview, he delved into detail on the significance of this FDA approval for patients with solid tumors who may be treated with Opdivo, as well as explained the benefits that are offered with treatment of subcutaneous versus IV Opdivo.

Halmos is a Professor in the Department of Oncology (Medical Oncology) and in the Department of Medicine (Oncology & Hematology) at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, as well as an Associate Director of Clinical Science at the Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center, located in New York, New York.

Transcript:

This is one of those medicine’s that we've been very successfully using for a decade in many different cancer types. This medicine, Opdivo, is based on a discovery that led to a Nobel Prize and is one of those immune checkpoint inhibitors that can re-energize the immune system's ability to fight different cancers as foreign elements in our bodies. This is a very successful drug. We use it frequently in the management of different types of lung, skin and gynecological cancers.

Of course [this approval of subcutaneous Opdivo is] still an injection, but it's an injection that can be quicker, more convenient, and for some patients, potentially less painful. It also allows for a lot of time savings in the physician's offices. [For example], maybe there's not a need to wait for an infusion chair. From that standpoint, it's not a major advance for the field, but it could be a significant advancement for any given patient who needs some of these treatments. That's what this approval is about.

Transcript was edited for clarity and conciseness.

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