Opdivo Approval Opens China I-O Doors But Pricing Key

China approves first immuno-oncology drug in the form of BMS’s Opdivo for lung cancer, opening up a new potentially huge market for the class, but much will depend on pricing and reimbursement policies.

Forbidden city, Beijing
OPDIVO CARVES PIONEERING PATH IN CHINA I-O SECTOR • Source: Shutterstock

In a milestone for the treatment of cancer in the country, China has approved its first immuno-oncology therapy in the form of Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.’s Opdivo (nivolumab), but commercial prospects in the potentially huge market remain cloudy until the drug is priced and it becomes clearer if it may be reimbursed under major insurance schemes.

The PD-1-targeting therapy has been approved by the new China National Drug Administration for the treatment of locally advanced or...

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