Ipilimumab (i pi lim′ ue mab; also known as MDX-010[1] and MDX-101), marketed as Yervoy, is a drug used for the treatment of melanoma, a type of skin cancer. It is a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved human monoclonal antibody developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb, and works by activating the immune system by targeting CTLA-4.
Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) can recognize and destroy cancer cells. However, there is also an inhibitory mechanism that interrupts this destruction. Ipilimumab turns off this inhibitory mechanism and allows CTLs to continue to destroy cancer cells.[2]
In addition to melanoma, ipilimumab is undergoing clinical trials for the treatment of non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), small cell lung cancer (SCLC)[3] and metastatic hormone-refractory prostate cancer.[4]
Ipilumimab has been in the US for a little over 2 years. It isn’t cheap. For an average weighted patient, the recommended regimen of 4 doses will cost over $140K.
The real buzz for the Melanoma indiction is the efficacy reported in Clinical trials for the 2 Anti-PD1s.
Of all the new targeted cancer therapies, what brentuximab vedotin is doing for CD30 positive Hodgkin Lymphoma patients I think is the most remarkable.