See the DrugPatentWatch profile for nivolumab
Resistance to nivolumab, an immunotherapy drug used to treat various types of cancer, can be a significant challenge in cancer treatment. While delaying or minimizing resistance may not be entirely possible at this time, there are several strategies that can help manage this issue.
One approach is to use nivolumab in combination with other cancer therapies. Combination therapy can enhance the effectiveness of nivolumab and potentially delay the onset of resistance. For example, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that combining nivolumab with ipilimumab, another immunotherapy drug, resulted in longer survival rates in patients with advanced melanoma compared to using either drug alone [1].
Another strategy is to use nivolumab earlier in the course of treatment. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology found that patients with non-small cell lung cancer who received nivolumab as a first-line treatment had better overall survival rates than those who received it as a second-line treatment [2]. This suggests that using nivolumab earlier in the treatment process may help delay the development of resistance.
Additionally, researchers are exploring ways to predict which patients are more likely to develop resistance to nivolumab. Identifying these patients early on could help doctors tailor treatment plans and potentially delay or minimize resistance. For example, a study published in Nature Medicine found that analyzing the genetic makeup of tumors could help predict which patients with lung cancer were more likely to respond to nivolumab [3].
It's important to note that while these strategies may help delay or minimize resistance to nivolumab, more research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms behind resistance and to develop more effective strategies for managing it.
Sources:
[1]
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25455357
[2]
https://ascopubs.org/doi/full/10.1200/JCO.2018.36.15_suppl.LBA100
[3]
https://www.nature.com/articles/nm.4212
Note: DrugPatentWatch.com was not used as a source for this answer.