Durable Overall Survival Benefit with Nivolumab Plus Ipilimumab in Metastatic Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Strategic Insights -

Research published in ESMO Open has demonstrated the long-term effectiveness of nivolumab plus ipilimumab with chemotherapy as a first-line treatment option for patients with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The phase III CheckMate 9LA study, led by Ohio State University, showed that this regimen provided a sustained overall survival (OS) benefit compared to chemotherapy alone. Patients treated with nivolumab plus ipilimumab with chemotherapy experienced a significantly improved 6-year OS rate of 16% versus 10% for those receiving chemotherapy alone. Additionally, the 6-year duration of response (DOR) rate was 19% with nivolumab plus ipilimumab with chemotherapy, with all patients in the chemotherapy arm being censored or stopped responding before this timepoint.

Key Takeaways:

  • The phase III CheckMate 9LA study demonstrated the durable overall survival (OS) benefit with nivolumab plus ipilimumab with chemotherapy versus chemotherapy in patients with metastatic NSCLC.
  • With 68.6 months' minimum follow-up, nivolumab plus ipilimumab with chemotherapy showed continued OS benefit versus chemotherapy, with hazard ratio 0.74 (95% confidence interval 0.63-0.87).
  • The 6-year OS rates were 16% versus 10% for nivolumab plus ipilimumab with chemotherapy and chemotherapy alone, respectively.
  • The 6-year DOR rate was 19% with nivolumab plus ipilimumab with chemotherapy, while all patients in the chemotherapy arm were censored or stopped responding before this timepoint.
  • Trends toward improved OS were observed with nivolumab plus ipilimumab with chemotherapy over chemotherapy irrespective of KRAS, STK11, KEAP1, or TP53 mutation status.
  • No new safety signals were observed with nivolumab plus ipilimumab with chemotherapy.

Statistics:

  • 6-year OS rate: 16% (nivolumab plus ipilimumab with chemotherapy) vs. 10% (chemotherapy alone)
  • 6-year DOR rate: 19% (nivolumab plus ipilimumab with chemotherapy)
  • Hazard ratio for OS: 0.74 (95% confidence interval 0.63-0.87)
  • Minimum follow-up: 68.6 months

Sources:

  • Nivolumab Plus Ipilimumab With Chemotherapy As First-line Treatment of Patients With Metastatic Non-small-cell Lung Cancer: Final, 6-year Outcomes From Checkmate 9la. ESMO Open, 2025;10(6).
  • NewsRx. Study Results from Ohio State University Update Understanding of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (Nivolumab Plus Ipilimumab With Chemotherapy As First-line Treatment of Patients With Metastatic Non-small-cell Lung Cancer: Final, 6-year Outcomes From ...). Immunotherapy Weekly. July 2, 2025; p 5271.