Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY) today announced the Phase 3 CheckMate -73L trial did not meet its primary endpoint of progression-free survival (PFS) in unresectable, locally advanced stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). CheckMate -73L evaluated Opdivo (nivolumab) with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) followed by Opdivo plus Yervoy (ipilimumab) versus CCRT followed by durvalumab in patients with unresectable stage III NSCLC. The observed adverse events of Opdivo with CCRT followed by Opdivo plus Yervoy were generally consistent with the known profiles of each component in the regimen.

"Unfortunately, adding immunotherapy concurrently with definitive chemoradiation did not improve PFS outcomes in this setting," said Joseph Fiore, vice president, global program lead, thoracic cancers, Bristol Myers Squibb. "There remains a critical need to improve long-term outcomes for these patients and we believe these results will help inform future drug development efforts in this setting. We want to thank the patients, families and investigators for their contributions to this important research."

The company will complete a full evaluation of the data and work with investigators to share the results with the scientific community.

Opdivo and Opdivo-based combinations have shown positive outcomes and are approved treatment options for eligible patients with resectable or metastatic NSCLC.