Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Opdivo accepted for inclusion in EAMS

Bristol-Myers Squibb has announced that its new product Opdivo has become the first lung cancer drug to be approved through the UK's Early Access to Medicines Scheme (EAMS).

The investigational PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor, also known as nivolumab, has been approved as a treatment option for patients with locally advanced or metastatic squamous non-small cell lung cancer after prior chemotherapy.

With the EAMS programme, NHS patients can gain early access to promising new drugs before they have been approved for specific indications by the European Commission.

The scheme is overseen by the UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, which gave the green light to Opdivo after assessing a package of clinical data provided by the manufacturer.

Johanna Mercier, general manager of Bristol-Myers Squibb for the UK and Ireland, said: "Nivolumab is the first treatment for lung cancer to be made available through the EAMS and we are committed to continued collaboration with policy makers to ensure that UK patients can benefit from our innovative cancer medicines."

The drug was approved in Europe as a treatment for advanced melanoma in June.