Precautions
Opdivo (nivolumab) is a chemotherapy drug used to treat skin cancer (melanoma) and many different kinds of metastatic cancer. What class of drug is Opdivo? Opdivo (nivolumab) is a cancer medicine that works with your immune system to interfere with the growth and spread of cancer cells in the body.
Is Opdivo a chemo drug?
Opdivo ( nivolumab) is a cancer medicine that is used alone or in combination with other medicines that works with your immune system to interfere with the growth and spread of cancer cells in the body. Opdivo is used alone or in combination with other medicines to treat adults with: advanced skin cancer (melanoma);
Is Opdivo an immunosuppressant?
Yes, Opdivo has been shown to be effective for treating squamous cell lung cancer. Squamous cells are flat cells that are found in the outer layer of your skin as well as lining parts of your body. This includes the airways in your lungs. One clinical trial of Opdivo involved adults with squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Does Opdivo cure cancer?
Opdivo (nivolumab) showed better long-term survival rates than expected for patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In fact, 16 percent of patients survived after five years, about four times what is typically expected for patients on chemotherapy. What explains the extended survival of these 16 patients, however, remains ...
How effective is Opdivo for lung cancer?
How is Opdivo given?
Here's a quick look at the treatment schedule—including the flexible option of every 2 weeks or every 4 weeks. OPDIVO is given through an intravenous (IV) infusion. The medicine is given directly into the bloodstream through a vein, usually in the arm or hand, by a healthcare professional.
What is Opdivo and how does it work?
Nivolumab works by blocking a protein that stops the immune system from working properly and attacking cancer cells. It helps to make your immune system find and kill cancer cells.
How long can you be treated with Opdivo?
Your doctor will continue giving you OPDIVO for as long as you keep benefitting from it or until you no longer tolerate the treatment. Patients receiving OPDIVO after surgical removal of melanoma may require treatment for no longer than one year.
Is Opdivo oral or IV?
OPDIVO (10 mg/mL) and YERVOY (5 mg/mL) are injections for intravenous (IV) use. OPDIVO® (nivolumab) is a prescription medicine used to treat people with a type of skin cancer called melanoma to help prevent melanoma from coming back after it and lymph nodes that contain cancer have been removed by surgery.
What is the success rate of Opdivo?
Of the 49% of patients alive and in follow-up, 77% of patients who received the combination (112/145), 69% of Opdivo-treated patients (84/122) and 43% (27/63) of Yervoy-treated patients have been off treatment and never received subsequent systemic therapy.
Is Opdivo chemotherapy or immunotherapy?
OPDIVO is an immunotherapy treatment. It's a type of medicine that works with your immune system.
How long can immunotherapy extend life?
Generally, at 2 years, if patients have done well on therapy, and you have 2 years of ongoing disease control, in most patients we are stopping at 2 years and then monitoring them.
How much is Opdivo a month?
Monthly premium: typically $148.50, but possibly higher depending on your income. Deductible: $203. Copayment: 20 percent of the Medicare-approved cost of your immunotherapy treatments after your deductible has been met.
What happens when you stop taking Opdivo?
Opdivo can cause your immune system to attack healthy tissues, even after you've stopped the drug. This can happen to any part of your body, including your joints. Rarely, arthritis (swelling in your joints) has occurred with Opdivo treatment.
Is Opdivo used alone?
Opdivo may be used alone or with other medications. Opdivo belongs to a class of drugs called Antineoplastics, Monoclonal Antibody; PD-1/PD-L1 Inhibitors.
Does Opdivo cause hair loss?
When your thyroid hormone levels are too low, hair loss can occur. In clinical studies, 9% of people who took Opdivo on its own had low thyroid hormone levels. Of those who took Opdivo with another cancer drug called ipilimumab, 15% to 22% of people had low thyroid hormone levels.
What cancers are treated with Opdivo?
Opdivo is used alone or with other drugs to treat certain types of esophageal cancer, gastroesophageal junction cancer, stomach cancer, colorectal cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, renal cell carcinoma (a type of kidney cancer), melanoma, hepatocellular carcinoma (a type of liver cancer), squamous cell carcinoma of ...
How long does Opdivo prolong life and what’s its success rate?
Opdivo (nivolumab) is an immunotherapy used to treat a wide variety of cancer types. How long treatment with this monoclonal antibody prolongs or e...
How long does Opdivo take to work and how do you know if it's working?
Results from clinical trial indicate that it can take about 2 months to see a response to treatment with Opdivo, but some patients will respond mor...
How long does Opdivo stay in your system?
Opdivo stays in your system for a very long time, up to 3 to 4 months (100 to 125 days). This is based on the half-life of Opdivo, which is 25 days...
What is the difference between Opdivo and Keytruda?
The key differences between Opdivo (nivolumab) and Keytruda (pembrolizumab) are seen in the dosing frequency, the drugs they are used in combinatio...
How are Opdivo and Yervoy administered?
Opdivo and Yervoy are administered by slow intravenous infusion over at least 30 minutes – this is when a bag containing the medicine is hung from...
Is Opdivo a chemotherapy or immunotherapy drug?
Opdivo is an immunotherapy treatment. It belongs to the class of medicines known as checkpoint inhibitors and works by blocking the PD-1 (programme...
What happens when you stop taking Opdivo for melanoma?
Opdivo (nivolumab) is an immunotherapy used to treat a variety of cancer types, including melanoma. Durable responses to treatment have been observ...
How does Opdivo work?
Opdivo is an immunotherapy drug, which means it works with your immune system to fight off cancer cells. It belongs to a group of drugs called prog...
What happens when you stop Opdivo?
When you’ll stop receiving Opdivo depends on the type and stage of your cancer and how your body responds to treatment. If your cancer goes into re...
What is Opdivo’s success rate in treating cancer?
Opdivo’s success rate for cancer treatment depends on the stage and type of your cancer. It can also depend on individual factors, such as: your ag...
Is Opdivo used for pancreatic, ovarian, prostate, or breast cancer? And does it treat brain metastas...
No, Opdivo isn’t approved to treat these types of cancer. But your doctor may prescribe Opdivo off-label for them. With off-label use, a doctor pre...
Does Opdivo cause hair loss?
Hair loss is a rare side effect of Opdivo. But it’s also possible to have hair loss from certain side effects of Opdivo or other factors. These fac...
How does Opdivo compare with the alternative drug Stivarga?
Similar to Opdivo, Stivarga is used to treat certain types of colorectal cancer and liver cancer. But it’s also used for gastrointestinal stromal t...
What is opdivo used for?
OPDIVO ® (nivolumab) is a prescription medicine used to treat people with cancer of the stomach (gastric), cancer where the esophagus joins the stomach (gastroesophageal junction), and in people with esophageal adenocarcinoma. OPDIVO may be used in combination with chemotherapy that contains fluoropyrimidine and platinum when your cancer cannot be ...
What is the name of the medicine that is used to treat pleural mesothelioma?
For adults newly diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) OPDIVO ® (nivolumab) is a prescription medicine used in combination with YERVOY ® (ipilimumab) as a first treatment for adults with a type of cancer that affects the lining of the lungs and chest wall called malignant pleural mesothelioma which cannot be removed by surgery.
What is nivolumab used for?
OPDIVO ® (nivolumab) is a prescription medicine used to treat people with head and neck cancer (squamous cell carcinoma) that has come back or spread and you have tried chemotherapy that contains platinum and it did not work or is no longer working.
What is the name of the drug that is used to treat melanoma?
OPDIVO ® (nivolumab) is a prescription medicine used to treat people with a type of skin cancer called melanoma that has spread or cannot be removed by surgery (advanced melanoma). OPDIVO ® (nivolumab) is a prescription medicine used in combination with YERVOY ® (ipilimumab) to treat people with a type of skin cancer called melanoma ...
Is OPDivo safe for children?
It is not known if OPDIVO is safe and effective in children younger than 12 years of age with MSI-H or dMMR metastatic colorectal cancer, or in children younger than 18 years of age for the treatment of any other cancers. OPDIVO (10 mg/mL) and YERVOY (5 mg/mL) are injections for intravenous. (IV) use.
Does opdivo work for bladder cancer?
For people with previously treated advanced bladder cancer (urothelial carcinoma) OPDIVO ® (nivolumab) is a prescription medicine used to treat people with bladder cancer (urothelial carcinoma) that has spread or grown and you have tried chemotherapy that contains platinum, and it did not work or is no longer working.
Is opdivo a prescription?
There is ongoing evaluation of clinical benefit of OPDIVO for this use. OPDIVO ® (nivolumab) is a prescription medicine used in combination with YERVOY ® (ipilimumab) to treat people with liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma) if you have previously received treatment with sorafenib.
Opdivo basics
Opdivo comes as a liquid solution. You’ll receive the drug at your doctor’s office or a clinic as an intravenous (IV) infusion. (IV infusions are injections given slowly into your vein over time.)
Receiving Opdivo with other drugs
Opdivo may be used alone or with other medications or treatments for cancer. This will depend on the type and stage of the cancer.
Questions about receiving Opdivo
Here are answers to some common questions about receiving doses of Opdivo.
Mild side effects
Here’s a list of some of the mild side effects that Opdivo can cause. To learn about other mild side effects, talk with your doctor or pharmacist, or read Opdivo’s medication guide.
Serious side effects
Serious side effects from Opdivo can occur, but they aren’t common. If you have serious side effects from Opdivo, call your doctor right away. However, if you think you’re having a medical emergency, you should call 911 or your local emergency number.
How does Opdivo work?
Opdivo is an immunotherapy drug, which means it works with your immune system to fight off cancer cells.
What happens when you stop Opdivo?
When you’ll stop receiving Opdivo depends on the type and stage of your cancer and how your body responds to treatment.
What is the trade name for Opdivo?
Trade name: Opdivo®. Nivolumab is the generic name for the trade drug name Opdivo®. In some cases, health care professionals may use the generic name nivolumab when referring to the trade name Opdivo®. Nivolumab is a targeted therapy. It is a human programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) blocking antibody.
How much fluid should I drink to take Nivolumab?
Self-Care Tips: Drink at least two to three quarts of fluid every 24 hours, unless you are instructed otherwise. Nivolumab can cause visual changes, dizziness and tiredness. If you have any of these symptoms, use caution when driving a car, using machinery, or anything that requires you to be alert.
What is the name of the antibody that blocks the interaction between PD-1 and PD-L1 and PD
Antiangiogenisis inhibitors target the blood vessels that supply oxygen to the cells, ultimately causing the cells to starve. Nivolumab is a human monoclonal antibody that blocks the interaction between PD-1 and it's ligands, PD-L1 and PD-L2.
How often is nivolumab given?
Nivolumab is administered intravenously (IV) into the vein over 60 minutes every 2 weeks. The amount of nivolumab that you will receive depends on many factors, your general health or other health problems, and the type of cancer or condition being treated.
What are the side effects of Nivolumab?
The following side effects are common (occurring in greater than 30%) for patients taking nivolumab: Fatigue. Lymphocytopenia (low white blood cells) Low sodium.
Do side effects go away after treatment?
Side effects are often predictable in terms of their onset and duration. Side effects are almost always reversible and will go away after treatment is complete. There are many options to help minimize or prevent side effects. There is no relationship between the presence or severity or side effects and the effectiveness of the medications.
What is opdivo used for?
OPDIVO ® (nivolumab) is a prescription medicine used to treat people with cancer of the stomach (gastric), cancer where the esophagus joins the stomach (gastroesophageal junction), and in people with esophageal adenocarcinoma. OPDIVO may be used in combination with chemotherapy that contains fluoropyrimidine and platinum when your cancer cannot be ...
What is the treatment for melanoma after surgery?
For people with melanoma after it and the affected lymph nodes have been removed by surgery to prevent it from coming back. OPDIVO ® (nivolumab) is a prescription medicine used to treat people with a type of skin cancer called melanoma to help prevent melanoma from coming back after it and lymph nodes that contain cancer have been removed by ...
What is the name of the medicine that is used to treat pleural mesothelioma?
For adults newly diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) OPDIVO ® (nivolumab) is a prescription medicine used in combination with YERVOY ® (ipilimumab) as a first treatment for adults with a type of cancer that affects the lining of the lungs and chest wall called malignant pleural mesothelioma which cannot be removed by surgery.
What is nivolumab used for?
OPDIVO ® (nivolumab) is a prescription medicine used to treat people with head and neck cancer (squamous cell carcinoma) that has come back or spread and you have tried chemotherapy that contains platinum and it did not work or is no longer working.
What is the name of the drug that is used to treat melanoma?
OPDIVO ® (nivolumab) is a prescription medicine used to treat people with a type of skin cancer called melanoma that has spread or cannot be removed by surgery (advanced melanoma). OPDIVO ® (nivolumab) is a prescription medicine used in combination with YERVOY ® (ipilimumab) to treat people with a type of skin cancer called melanoma ...
Does opdivo work for bladder cancer?
For people with previously treated advanced bladder cancer (urothelial carcinoma) OPDIVO ® (nivolumab) is a prescription medicine used to treat people with bladder cancer (urothelial carcinoma) that has spread or grown and you have tried chemotherapy that contains platinum, and it did not work or is no longer working.
Is opdivo a prescription?
There is ongoing evaluation of clinical benefit of OPDIVO for this use. OPDIVO ® (nivolumab) is a prescription medicine used in combination with YERVOY ® (ipilimumab) to treat people with liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma) if you have previously received treatment with sorafenib.
What is Opdivo used for?
Opdivo (nivolumab) is a brand-name prescription medication used in adults to treat certain types of cancer. These include specific forms of bladder, colorectal, and esophageal cancer, as well as several other cancer types.
What to do if you have a reaction to Opdivo?
If you’re having a severe skin reaction, your healthcare provider will pause or permanently stop your Opdivo infusions.
What is the best medicine for a mild allergic reaction?
They may suggest an over-the-counter oral antihistamine, such as diphenhydramine ( Benadryl ), or a topical product, like hydrocortisone cream, to manage your allergic reaction.
Does Opdivo cause joint pain?
Joint pain is a common side effect of the drug. Muscle, back, and bone pain are also common side effects of Opdivo. Opdivo can cause your immune system to attack healthy tissues, even after you’ve stopped the drug. This can happen to any part of your body, including your joints.
Can you stop Opdivo?
You should watch for any new or bothersome symptoms on the days between your infusions, too. If you have a severe reaction, your healthcare provider may stop your Opdivo infusion. If you have a mild or moderate reaction during your infusion, they may slow the rate of infusion or pause it to help manage your symptoms.
Can you take Opdivo alone?
However, Opdivo isn’t always used alone to treat melanoma. The risk of side effects may differ depending on your treatment plan. For more information, see the Opdivo Medication Guide. If you’re receiving Opdivo infusions to treat melanoma, ask your doctor about your side effect risks.
Can Opdivo cause hyponatremia?
encephalitis (swelling of your brain) meningitis (swelling of the lining around your brain and spinal cord) diabetic ketoacidosis (dangerously high levels of blood acids called ketones) Also, Opdivo can cause hyponatremia (low blood sodium levels).
What is Opdivo used for?
Opdivo (nivolumab) is an immunotherapy used to treat a wide variety of cancer types. How long treatment with this monoclonal antibody prolongs or extends life depends on the type and stage of cancer it is used to treat.
How is Opdivo successful?
How successful Opdivo is as a treatment is also measured in clinical trials by looking at the number of patients who respond to the therapy with either complete or partial responses, which is known as the objective response rate (ORR) The table below outlines by cancer type how long Opdivo prolongs survival and how many patients respond ...
What is OPDIVO used for?
OPDIVO is indicated for the adjuvant treatment of completely resected esophageal or gastroesophageal junction cancer with residual pathologic disease in patients who have received neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT). OPDIVO, in combination with fluoropyrimidine- and platinum-containing chemotherapy, is indicated for the treatment ...
What are the adverse reactions of opdivo?
Severe or fatal cases have been reported for some of these adverse reactions: cardiac/vascular: myocarditis, pericarditis, vasculitis; nervous system: meningitis, encephalitis, myelitis and demyelination, myasthenic syndrome/myasthenia gravis (including exacerbation), Guillain-Barré syndrome, nerve paresis, autoimmune neuropathy; ocular: uveitis, iritis, and other ocular inflammatory toxicities can occur; gastrointestinal: pancreatitis to include increases in serum amylase and lipase levels, gastritis, duodenitis; musculoskeletal and connective tissue: myositis/polymyositis, rhabdomyolysis, and associated sequelae including renal failure, arthritis, polymyalgia rheumatica; endocrine: hypoparathyroidism; other (hematologic/immune): hemolytic anemia, aplastic anemia, hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), systemic inflammatory response syndrome, histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis (Kikuchi lymphadenitis), sarcoidosis, immune thrombocytopenic purpura, solid organ transplant rejection.
What is nivolumab used for?
OPDIVO ® (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy. Patients with EGFR or ALK genomic tumor aberrations should have disease progression on FDA-approved therapy for these aberrations prior to receiving OPDIVO.
Can OPDivo cause thyroid problems?
OPDIVO and YERVOY can cause primary or secondary adrenal insufficiency, immune-mediated hypophysitis, immune-mediated thyroid disorders, and Type 1 diabetes mellitus, which can present with diabetic ketoacidosis. Withhold OPDIVO and YERVOY depending on severity (please see section 2 Dosage and Administration in the accompanying Full Prescribing Information). For Grade 2 or higher adrenal insufficiency, initiate symptomatic treatment, including hormone replacement as clinically indicated. Hypophysitis can present with acute symptoms associated with mass effect such as headache, photophobia, or visual field defects. Hypophysitis can cause hypopituitarism; initiate hormone replacement as clinically indicated. Thyroiditis can present with or without endocrinopathy. Hypothyroidism can follow hyperthyroidism; initiate hormone replacement or medical management as clinically indicated. Monitor patients for hyperglycemia or other signs and symptoms of diabetes; initiate treatment with insulin as clinically indicated.
Can opdivo cause fetal harm?
Based on its mechanism of action and findings from animal studies, OPDIVO and YERVOY can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. The effects of YERVOY are likely to be greater during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. Advise pregnant women of the potential risk to a fetus. Advise females of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with OPDIVO and YERVOY and for at least 5 months after the last dose.
What is Opdivo used for?
Opdivo is a brand (trade) name for nivolumab which is a type of injected immunotherapy medicine that may be used to treat many different types of cancer including advanced skin cancer (melanoma), liver cancer, and lung cancer.
How long is Opdivo given?
When given for the adjuvant treatment of melanoma, Opdivo is given for up to a year. For other types of cancers, it may be given until disease progression occurs or unacceptable toxicity occurs. When used in combination with other treatments it is usually given for up to two years.
How much does opdivo cost?
Opdivo is expensive. The cost for Opdivo intravenous solution (10 mg/mL) is around $1,154 for a supply of 4 milliliters. For a 240mg infusion, this works out at $6,924 per dose. Use of Opdivo for certain types of cancer may be restricted to those people with a specific genetic marker (an abnormal "EGFR" or "ALK" gene).
How often should I take Opdivo?
The dosage of Opdivo varies depending on the type of cancer being treated but the usual dosage for adults is 240 mg given by intravenous infusion over 30 minutes every 2 weeks. Alternative dosages include 480 mg given by intravenous infusion over 30 minutes every 4 weeks.
How does nivolumab work?
Nivolumab works by blocking the PD-1 (programmed death receptor-1) pathway to help prevent cancer cells from hiding from the immune system. Nivolumab helps boost the immune system's response against cancer. PD-1 receptors are found on T-cells (also called T-lymphocytes) which are a type of white blood cell.
What medications interact with Opdivo?
Common medications that may interact with Opdivo include: corticosteroids, such as betamethasone, budesonide, cortisone, dexamethasone, hydrocortisone, or prednisone. idelalisib. lenalidomide, pomalidomide, or thalidomide.
What are the side effects of Opdivo?
Fatigue, skin conditions, a cough, upper respiratory tract infections, musculoskeletal pain, edema, skin discoloration, and gastrointestinal side effects are the most common side effects reported. The effectiveness of Opdivo varies depending on the type of cancer being treated and other factors, such as patient age. 5.
What strengths does Opdivo come in?
The strength of Opdivo is 10 milligrams (mg) per 1 milliliter (mL). It comes in vials containing the following amounts:
What are the usual dosages of Opdivo?
Opdivo dosages vary based on several factors, including your weight in kilograms (kg)* and the kind of cancer you have.
Is Opdivo received long term?
Yes, Opdivo is usually prescribed as a long-term treatment. If you and your doctor determine that Opdivo is safe and effective for you, it’s likely that you’ll use it long term.
