Opdivo - opinion on variation to marketing authorisation
Opinion
EMA has issued an opinion on a change to this medicine's authorisation
nivolumab
Post-authorisationHuman
On 29 January 2026, the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) adopted a positive opinion, recommending a change to the terms of the marketing authorisation for the medicinal product Opdivo. The marketing authorisation holder for this medicinal product is Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma EEIG.
The CHMP adopted a new indication as follows:
Opdivo in combination with brentuximab vedotin is indicated for the treatment of children 5 years of age and older, adolescents and adults up to 30 years of age with relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma after one prior line of therapy (see section 5.1)
For information, the full indications for Opdivo will be as follows:
Melanoma
Opdivo as monotherapy is indicated for the adjuvant treatment of adults and adolescents 12 years of age and older with Stage IIB or IIC melanoma, or melanoma with involvement of lymph nodes or metastatic disease who have undergone complete resection (see section 5.1).
Opdivo as monotherapy or in combination with ipilimumab is indicated for the treatment of advanced (unresectable or metastatic) melanoma in adults and adolescents 12 years of age and older.
Relative to nivolumab monotherapy, an increase in progression‑free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) for the combination of nivolumab with ipilimumab is established only in patients with low tumour PD‑L1 expression (see sections 4.4 and 5.1).
Non‑small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)
Opdivo in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy is indicated for the neoadjuvant treatment of resectable non-small cell lung cancer at high risk of recurrence in adult patients whose tumours have PD L1 expression ≥ 1% (see section 5.1 for selection criteria).
Opdivo, in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy as neoadjuvant treatment, followed by Opdivo as monotherapy as adjuvant treatment, is indicated for the treatment of resectable non-small cell lung cancer at high risk of recurrence in adult patients whose tumours have PD L1 expression ≥ 1% (see section 5.1 for selection criteria).
Opdivo in combination with ipilimumab and 2 cycles of platinum based chemotherapy is indicated for the first line treatment of metastatic non small cell lung cancer in adults whose tumours have no sensitising EGFR mutation or ALK translocation.
Opdivo as monotherapy is indicated for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic non small cell lung cancer after prior chemotherapy in adults.
Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM)
Opdivo in combination with ipilimumab is indicated for the first‑line treatment of adult patients with unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma.
Renal cell carcinoma (RCC)
Opdivo in combination with ipilimumab is indicated for the first‑line treatment of adult patients with intermediate/poor‑risk advanced renal cell carcinoma (see section 5.1).
Opdivo in combination with cabozantinib is indicated for the first‑line treatment of adult patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (see section 5.1).
Opdivo as monotherapy is indicated for the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma after prior therapy in adults.
Classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL)
Opdivo as monotherapy is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma after autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) and treatment with brentuximab vedotin.
Opdivo in combination with brentuximab vedotin is indicated for the treatment of children 5 years of age and older, adolescents and adults up to 30 years of age with relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma after one prior line of therapy (see section 5.1).
Squamous cell cancer of the head and neck (SCCHN)
Opdivo as monotherapy is indicated for the treatment of recurrent or metastatic squamous cell cancer of the head and neck in adults progressing on or after platinum‑based therapy (see section 5.1).
Urothelial carcinoma
Opdivo as monotherapy is indicated for the adjuvant treatment of adults with muscle invasive urothelial carcinoma (MIUC) with tumour cell PD L1 expression ≥ 1%, who are at high risk of recurrence after undergoing radical resection of MIUC (see section 5.1).
Opdivo in combination with cisplatin and gemcitabine is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic urothelial carcinoma.
Opdivo as monotherapy is indicated for the treatment of locally advanced unresectable or metastatic urothelial carcinoma in adults after failure of prior platinum containing therapy.
Mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) or microsatellite instability‑high (MSI‑H) colorectal cancer (CRC)
Opdivo in combination with ipilimumab is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with mismatch repair deficient or microsatellite instability‑high colorectal cancer in the following settings:
- first-line treatment of unresectable or metastatic colorectal cancer;
- treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer after prior fluoropyrimidine‑based combination chemotherapy (see section 5.1).
Oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC)
Opdivo in combination with ipilimumab is indicated for the first‑line treatment of adult patients with unresectable advanced, recurrent or metastatic oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma with tumour cell PD‑L1 expression ≥ 1%.
Opdivo in combination with fluoropyrimidine‑ and platinum‑based combination chemotherapy is indicated for the first‑line treatment of adult patients with unresectable advanced, recurrent or metastatic oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma with tumour cell PD‑L1 expression ≥ 1%.
Opdivo as monotherapy is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable advanced, recurrent or metastatic oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma after prior fluoropyrimidine‑ and platinum‑based combination chemotherapy.
Adjuvant treatment of oesophageal or gastro‑oesophageal junction cancer (OC or GEJC)
Opdivo as monotherapy is indicated for the adjuvant treatment of adult patients with oesophageal or gastro‑oesophageal junction cancer who have residual pathologic disease following prior neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (see section 5.1).
Gastric, gastro‑oesophageal junction (GEJ) or oesophageal adenocarcinoma
Opdivo in combination with fluoropyrimidine‑ and platinum‑based combination chemotherapy is indicated for the first‑line treatment of adult patients with HER2‑negative advanced or metastatic gastric, gastro‑oesophageal junction or oesophageal adenocarcinoma whose tumours express PD‑L1 with a combined positive score (CPS) ≥ 5.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)
Opdivo in combination with ipilimumab is indicated for the first‑line treatment of adult patients with unresectable or advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.
Detailed recommendations for the use of this product will be described in the updated summary of product characteristics (SmPC), which will be published on the EMA website in all official European Union languages after a decision on this change to the marketing authorisation has been granted by the European Commission.
Note: New text in bold
CHMP post-authorisation summary of positive opinion for Opdivo (EMAVR0000282199)
Adopted
Reference Number: EMADOC-1700519818-2843485
English (EN) (181.83 KB - PDF)
First published: