Nivolumab for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma

ABSTRACT

Introduction

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide and up to recently, sorafenib was the only approved systemic treatment options. In recent years, many other treatment options have received approval for advanced HCC, including nivolumab, a Programmed-Death-1 (PD-1) inhibitor.

Areas covered

We review the current treatment landscape of HCC, an overview of the characteristics of nivolumab and current ongoing and completed trials of nivolumab.

Expert opinion

Nivolumab is generally well tolerated and has modest single-agent activity as a monotherapy in advanced HCC. Further studies are required to better explore its role as part of combination approaches, in adjuvant/neoadjuvant setting, as well as to understand the impact of sequencing of its use with other systemic therapy options.

KEYWORDS:

• Hepatocellular carcinoma
• nivolumab
• immune checkpoint inhibitor
• anti-PD1 antibody
• liver cancer

Box 1. Drug Summary Box.

Table

Reviewer Disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial relationships or otherwise to disclose.

Declaration of interest

Choo SP has received research funding from BMS and Sirtex. Choo SP has participated in Advisory Boards for BMS, Sirtex, Lilly, Novartis, Eisai, Bayer, and Celgene. Lee JX has received research funding from Bayer and participated in Advisory Boards for Ipsen and Bayer. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Additional information

Funding

This paper is not funded.