ASH 2016 | Results of CheckMate 039 trial of nivolumab in combination with ipilimumab for Hodgkin lymphoma
Stephen Ansell, MD, PhD from the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN discusses the CheckMate 039 trial of nivolumab in combination with ipilimumab for patients with various B-cell malignancies, focusing on Hodgkin lymphoma (NCT01592370). Prof. Ansell explains that clinical trials with PD-1 blockade have proven very promising and they have been trying to build on these results by adding a second immune checkpoint agent called ipilimumab. Ipilimumab blocks CTLA-4 and the idea is to employ two different mechanisms that keep a T-cell activated. In Hodgkin lymphoma patients, the response rate was 74% even though many of these patients were heavily pre-treated. Further, the combination was well-tolerated. Recorded at the 2016 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting, held in San Diego, CA.
