An update on the pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, safety and clinical efficacy of nivolumab in the treatment of solid cancers.

INTRODUCTION: Nivolumab is a programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) inhibitor that has been approved for treatment of advanced melanoma, non-small cell lung carcinoma, renal cell carcinoma and classical Hodgkin's lymphoma. AREAS COVERED: This review summarizes the latest evidence on nivolumab's pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, safety and clinical efficacy in different solid tumors, based on published studies and abstracts from international conferences. EXPERT OPINION: Multiple high-level evidence has confirmed the efficacy and safety of nivolumab in solid tumors. Further studies should focus on the identification of potential predictive biomarkers and possibility of combining with other immunotherapeutic or cytotoxic agents. The optimal sequence, treatment duration and possibility of re-challenging patients who had prior nivolumab are yet to be defined.