Checkpoint inhibitor combo plus early chemotherapy ‘a winner’ in NSCLC

​​​​​​​Using the regimen as first-line treatment for patients with metastatic or recurrent non-small-cell lung cancer extends survival, researchers show
Clare Pain
chemotherapy

Two rounds of chemotherapy in addition to two immune checkpoint inhibitors beats chemotherapy alone for treatment-naïve patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), phase three trial results show.

In the CheckMate 9LA trial, more than 700 patients were randomised to either nivolumab 360mg IV every three weeks and ipilimumab 1mg/kg IV every six weeks plus histology-based platinum doublet chemotherapy every three weeks for two cycles or to a control regimen of four cycles of the chemotherapy alone.