Dr. McDermott on Single-Agent Nivolumab in RCC

David F. McDermott, MD, director of the Biologic Therapy Program at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, discusses nivolumab (Opdivo) as a single agent for the treatment of patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

Nivolumab is currently FDA approved for patients with RCC who have failed VEGF therapy in the second-line, but McDermott said that its therapeutic index and toxicity profile makes it a good candidate for first-line treatment.

In order to move this agent to the frontline, more work must be done to develop biomarkers to select patients who would benefit from single-agent nivolumab.