Bristol’s Opdivo Continues Slide, But First-Line Lung Offers Optimism

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company execs talked up Opdivo’s growth prospects moving forward on the company’s second quarter earnings call on 6 August, saying that launch of the PD-1 inhibitor in combination with its CTLA-4 inhibitor Yervoy (ipilimumab) in first-line non-small cell lung cancer is off to a good start and that renal cell carcinoma could offer another growth area for the immuno-oncology agent.

There have been concerns about Opdivo (nivolumab) given continued strong growth for Merck & Co., Inc.’s best-selling PD-1 rival Keytruda (pembrolizumab), which has meant sluggish sales for Bristol’s drug....