The US FDA approves Bristol-Myers Squibb Company's cancer drug Opdivo injection.

The US FDA has announced the approval of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company's blockbuster PD-1 inhibitor Opdivo (nivolumab) in combination with platinum-containing chemotherapy as a neoadjuvant therapy before surgery, followed by monotherapy as an adjuvant therapy after surgery, for the treatment of resectable adult patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who do not have EGFR or ALK gene mutations. The new injectable form of Opdivo is expected to be more convenient for patients and help protect the company's sales after patent erosion, as the intravenous injection version will expire later in the decade. The injectable drug is branded as Opdivo Qvantig and has been approved for the treatment of all previously approved adult solid tumor indications, either as monotherapy, maintenance therapy or in combination with chemotherapy. Bristol's Chief Commercial Officer Adam Lenkowsky expressed that the drug will be launched in early January and priced similarly to the IV version. The price of the intravenous injection version of the drug is $7,635 per low dose injection every two weeks, and $15,269 per high dose of 480 mg injection every four weeks. With patents for older drugs like Revlimid and the blood thinner Eliquis expiring later in the decade, the pharmaceutical company is relying on new therapies like Opdivo Qvantig to drive growth.