FDA OKs Bris­tol My­ers Squibb’s LAG-3 drug, ap­prov­ing first new class of check­point in­hibitor in 8 years

For the first time in near­ly a decade, the FDA has ap­proved a new type of check­point in­hibitor to treat cer­tain pa­tients with can­cer.

The drug, de­vel­oped by Bris­tol My­ers Squibb and known as re­latlimab, is ap­proved for pa­tients with metasta­t­ic melanoma or melanoma that can’t be treat­ed with surgery. It’s giv­en in com­bi­na­tion with Op­di­vo, Bris­tol’s block­buster PD-1 in­hibitor.

Mar­ket­ed as Op­du­alag, the an­ti­body com­bo will cost $27,389 per in­fu­sion. A Bris­tol spokesper­son said the price is in line with oth­er com­bi­na­tion treat­ments for metasta­t­ic melanoma.

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