Extend the life of liver cancer patients! Bristol-Myers Squibb Company's (BMY.US) first-line immunotherapy combination therapy approved by the European Union.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (BMY.US) announced that the European Commission (EC) has approved its blockbuster PD-1 inhibitor Opdivo (nivolumab) in combination with the CTLA-4 targeted antibody Yervoy (ipilimumab) for the first-line treatment of unresectable or advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in adults. According to reports, the US FDA has accepted a supplemental biologics license application for Opdivo in combination with Yervoy for the same patient population, with a review expected to be completed by April 21 of this year. Public information shows that Opdivo is a PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor designed to help restore anti-tumor immune responses by utilizing the body's own immune system to fight cancer. Yervoy, on the other hand, targets and inhibits CTLA-4. CTLA-4 antibodies enhance T cell activity to increase tumor-killing capabilities. Data shows that the combination treatment of Opdivo and Yervoy significantly prolongs patients' overall survival (OS), meeting the primary clinical endpoint of the trial. The median OS for patients in the Opdivo plus Yervoy combination therapy group was 23.7 months (95% CI: 18.829.4), compared to 20.6 months (95% CI: 17.522.5) for patients in the active control drug group, with a hazard ratio of 0.79 (0.650.96; p=0.018). The OS benefit was consistent across various patient subgroups.