On March 2, 2015 Bristol-Myers Squibb Company reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for filing and review the supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for Yervoy for the adjuvant treatment of patients with stage 3 melanoma who are at high risk of recurrence following complete surgical resection (Press release, Bristol-Myers Squibb, MAR 2, 2015, View Source [SID:1234502132]). The projected FDA action date is October 28, 2015.

For many stage 3 melanoma patients, there is a high risk of disease recurrence and there has been a low overall survival rate. By five years, the majority of patients experience disease recurrence, with nearly 90 percent in those considered at the highest risk. Once the disease returns, survival rates have been been very low historically, ranging from 11 to 20 percent.

“Four years ago, Yervoy was approved for the treatment of unresectable or metastatic melanoma, the most advanced form of the disease,” said Michael Giordano, senior vice president, Head of Development, Oncology, Bristol-Myers Squibb. “Today’s announcement is a reflection of our commitment to investigate our immuno-oncology treatments for patients across lines of therapy and stages of the disease.”

This filing acceptance is based on clinical data from a randomized, double-blind Phase III trial, CA184-029 (EORTC 18071), assessing the efficacy of Yervoy, at the investigational dose of 10 mg/kg, in preventing or delaying recurrence after complete resection of high-risk stage 3 melanoma.