In a clinical trial, unresectable or metastatic melanoma patients were previously treated with one or more of the following: aldesleukin, dacarbazine, temozolomide, fotemustine, or carboplatin.
Clinical trial results show that YERVOY patients lived substantially longer than patients who did not receive YERVOY.
YERVOY will not work for every patient. Individual results will vary. It is important for patients to ask their doctors if YERVOY is right for them.
Of the 676 patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma that participated in this trial: 20% (137 patients) received YERVOY alone, another 20% (136 patients) received another experimental drug alone, and 60% (403 patients) received YERVOY along with the experimental drug.
The major goal was to measure how long patients lived with YERVOY in combination with the experimental drug compared to the experimental drug alone.
Patients who received YERVOY alone and patients who took YERVOY plus another experimental drug showed a median* overall survival of 10 months. Patients who took the experimental drug alone showed a median overall survival of 6 months.
Over the course of the study, treatment with YERVOY decreased the risk of death by about one third compared to patients who received the experimental drug.
Based on the published results of this study, it is estimated that:
- 46% (56 patients) of metastatic melanoma patients taking YERVOY alone were alive at year 1 vs 25% (32 patients) of patients taking the experimental drug alone
- 24% (24 patients) of patients taking YERVOY alone were alive at year 2 vs 14%
(16 patients) of patients taking the experimental drug alone
*A statistics term. The middle value in a set of measurements.
YERVOY can cause serious side effects in many parts of the body which can lead to death. The serious side effects of YERVOY may include: inflammation of the intestines (colitis) that can cause tears or holes (perforation) in the intestines; inflammation of the liver (hepatitis) that can lead to liver failure; inflammation of the skin that can lead to severe skin reaction (toxic epidermal necrolysis); inflammation of the nerves that can lead to paralysis; inflammation of hormone glands (especially the pituitary, adrenal, and thyroid glands) that may affect how these glands work; and inflammation of the eyes.
The most common side effects of YERVOY are tiredness, diarrhea, itching and rash.
Side effects are most likely to begin during treatment; however, they can appear months after your last infusion.
Call your healthcare provider if you have any signs or symptoms or they get worse. Even seemingly mild symptoms can lead to severe or even life-threatening conditions if not addressed.
Do not try to treat symptoms yourself. Your healthcare provider should perform blood tests, such as liver and thyroid function tests, before starting and during treatment with YERVOY. Your oncologist may decide to delay or stop YERVOY.
These are not all of the possible side effects of YERVOY. Please see Medication Guide for additional information. If you have any questions about your health or medicines, talk to your healthcare provider.