Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Mar 10, 2022.
Commonly used brand name(s)
In the U.S.
- Opdivo
Available Dosage Forms:
- Solution
Therapeutic Class: Antineoplastic Agent
Pharmacologic Class: Monoclonal Antibody
Uses for nivolumab
Nivolumab injection is used alone or together with other medicines (eg, ipilimumab) to treat melanoma (skin cancer) that has spread throughout the body (metastatic) or that cannot be removed by surgery. It is also used to help prevent melanoma from coming back after it and lymph nodes that contain cancer have been removed by surgery.
Nivolumab injection is also used with medicines containing platinum and another cancer medicine before having surgery for early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Nivolumab injection is also used with ipilimumab as first-line treatment for metastatic (cancer that has already spread) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in patients whose tumors express PD-L1 and do not have an abnormal EGFR or ALK gene. Your doctor will perform a test to check for the PD-L1 tumor before you receive nivolumab.
It is also used with ipilimumab and 2 cycles of medicines containing platinum as first-line treatment for non-small cell lung cancer that has come back or spread in patients whose tumors do not have an abnormal EGFR or ALK gene.
Nivolumab injection is also used to treat non-small cell lung cancer that has spread throughout the body and after other cancer medicines (eg, medicines containing platinum) have been tried but did not work well. It is given to patients whose tumors have an abnormal EGFR or ALK gene and have tried treatment for these tumors but did not work well.
Nivolumab injection is also used with ipilimumab as first-line treatment for malignant pleural mesothelioma (cancer that affects the inside lining of the lungs and chest wall) that cannot be removed by surgery.
Nivolumab injection is used alone to treat kidney cancer that has spread throughout the body in patients who have received other medicines. It is also used together with other medicines (eg, ipilimumab or cabozatinib) to treat kidney cancer that has spread throughout the body in patients who have not received other medicines.
It is also used t...
