Nivolumab + Ipilimumab for Colorectal Cancer

(CheckMate 8HW Trial)

Not currently recruiting at 364 trial locations

Overseen By BMS Study Connect Contact Center www.BMSStudyConnect.com

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Phase 3

Sponsor: Bristol-Myers Squibb

Disqualifiers: Autoimmune disease, HIV/AIDS, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Pivotal Trial (Near Approval) This treatment is in the last trial phase before FDA approval

Prior Safety Data This treatment has passed at least one previous human trial

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial tests new treatments for colorectal cancer that has spread and is difficult to remove surgically. Researchers aim to evaluate the effectiveness of two treatments, nivolumab alone and nivolumab with ipilimumab, compared to standard chemotherapy. The goal is to determine if these treatments can extend patient survival and slow cancer progression. Individuals with specific tumor types, such as MSI-H (a genetic marker) or dMMR (a cellular repair issue), might be suitable candidates. Those who have tried other treatments without success may find this trial beneficial. As a Phase 3 trial, it represents the final step before FDA approval, providing access to potentially groundbreaking treatments.

Do I have to stop taking my current medications for the trial?

The trial protocol does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. Please consult with the trial coordinators for more details.

Is there any evidence suggesting that this trial's treatments are likely to be safe?

Research shows that the FDA has approved nivolumab, both alone and with ipilimumab, for treating advanced colorectal cancer with specific genetic traits (MSI-H/dMMR). This approval confirms its safety for this use. Earlier studies found that using nivolumab and ipilimumab together was generally safe, with the most common serious side effects being diarrhea and increased enzyme levels, occurring in 2% or more of patients.

Nivolumab alone has also undergone extensive study. Although serious side effects like diarrhea, pneumonia, and urinary tract infections were reported, they remained uncommon. The treatments have demonstrated lasting positive effects and high survival rates in patients, suggesting they are generally well-tolerated, especially given their FDA approval for similar conditions. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial's treatments?

Researchers are excited about the combination of Nivolumab and Ipilimumab for colorectal cancer because it offers a novel approach to treating the disease. Unlike traditional chemotherapy, which directly attacks cancer cells, these drugs work by enhancing the body's immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells. Nivolumab and Ipilimumab are immune checkpoint inhibitors, targeting specific proteins (PD-1 and CTLA-4) that can prevent immune cells from attacking cancer effectively. This mechanism has the potential to offer a more targeted and possibly more effective treatment option with a different side effect profile compared to standard chemotherapy regimens like Fluorouracil and Oxaliplatin.

What evidence suggests that this trial's treatments could be effective for metastatic colorectal cancer?

Research has shown that nivolumab, which participants in this trial may receive as monotherapy in Arm A, can effectively treat metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) in patients with certain genetic traits (MSI-H/dMMR). Studies have found that many patients respond well, with their cancer remaining stable for a significant time.

In Arm B of this trial, participants will receive a combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab. This combination treatment reduced the risk of cancer progression or death by 38% compared to nivolumab alone. After three years, about 68% of patients who received this combination remained alive without their cancer worsening. This suggests that the combination might be more effective in prolonging life and controlling the disease. ^{2 5 6 7 8}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Bristol-Myers Squibb

Principal Investigator

Bristol-Myers Squibb

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for adults with a specific type of advanced colorectal cancer that's not suitable for surgery. Participants must have tumors with high microsatellite instability or mismatch repair deficiency, and be in good physical condition (ECOG ≤1). People who've had certain immune diseases, lung conditions, or are HIV positive cannot join.

Inclusion Criteria

I am fully active and can carry on all pre-disease activities without restriction.

My colorectal cancer has returned or spread, and I haven't had chemotherapy or targeted therapy for it.

My tumor is identified as MSI-H or dMMR.

Exclusion Criteria

You have an autoimmune disease that is currently active, known, or suspected.

Known history of positive test for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or known acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)

There are other requirements that you must meet or not meet to participate in this study, as determined by the study guidelines.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Participants receive either Nivolumab monotherapy, Nivolumab in combination with Ipilimumab, or Investigator's choice chemotherapy

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment

12 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Bevacizumab
• Cetuximab
• Fluorouracil
• Ipilimumab
• Irinotecan
• Nivolumab
• Oxaliplatin

Trial Overview The study tests the effectiveness of Nivolumab alone or combined with Ipilimumab against standard chemotherapy options like Irinotecan and Oxaliplatin. It measures how long patients live without their cancer getting worse, their overall response to treatment, and survival time.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Arm B: Nivolumab + Ipilimumab Combination Experimental Treatment 2 Interventions

Specified dose on specified days

Group II: Arm A: Nivolumab Monotherapy Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Specified dose on specified days

Group III: Arm C: Investigator's Choice Chemotherapy Active Control 6 Interventions

Participants in Arm C would be allowed to receive Nivolumab + Ipilimumab if they progress

Fluorouracil is already approved in United States, European Union, Canada for the following indications:

Approved in United States as 5-Fluorouracil for:

• Colorectal cancer
• Breast cancer
• Stomach cancer
• Pancreatic cancer
• Skin cancer

Approved in European Union as 5-Fluorouracil for:

• Colorectal cancer
• Breast cancer
• Stomach cancer
• Pancreatic cancer

Approved in Canada as 5-Fluorouracil for:

• Colorectal cancer
• Breast cancer
• Stomach cancer
• Pancreatic cancer

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Bristol-Myers Squibb

Lead Sponsor

Trials

2,731

Recruited

4,127,000+

Headquarters

New York City, USA

Known For

Oncology & Cardiovascular

Top Products

Eliquis, Opdivo, Revlimid, Orencia

Christopher Boerner

Bristol-Myers Squibb

Chief Executive Officer since 2023

PhD in Business Administration from the Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley; BA in Economics and History from Washington University in St. Louis

Deepak L. Bhatt

Bristol-Myers Squibb

Chief Medical Officer since 2024

MD from Yale University; MSc in Clinical Epidemiology from the University of Pennsylvania

Ono Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd

Industry Sponsor

Trials

182

Recruited

97,100+

Shinji Takai

Ono Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd

Chief Medical Officer since 2023

MD from an unspecified institution

Gyo Sagara

Ono Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd

Chief Executive Officer since 2024

PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Kyoto University

Published Research Related to This Trial

A meta-analysis of gastrointestinal adverse events in patients treated for malignant tumors with nivolumab and ipilimumab found that diarrhea was the most common side effect, along with nausea and decreased appetite.

Severe gastrointestinal issues, particularly colitis and diarrhea, were identified as significant risks, suggesting that adjusting the administration scheme of the treatment could help reduce these adverse events.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Treatment-related gastrointestinal adverse events of nivolumab plus ipilimumab in randomized clinical trials: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Liu, K., Wang, YH., Luo, N., et al.[2023]

Nivolumab and ipilimumab, two FDA-approved immunotherapeutic agents targeting PD-1 and CTLA-4, are effective in treating various cancers but can cause significant immune-related adverse effects (irAEs).

In a case study of a 66-year-old female patient, steroid-resistant colitis induced by these checkpoint inhibitors was successfully treated with infliximab, highlighting a potential management strategy for severe irAEs.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Treatment of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Induced Colitis with Infliximab. Tidwell, C., Gutnik, S.[2020]

Ipilimumab has shown a positive impact on overall survival in patients with stage IV melanoma, with long-term follow-up indicating its effectiveness compared to conventional treatments.

While 84.8% of patients experience drug-related adverse events, most are mild to moderate; however, severe reactions can occur, necessitating careful monitoring and management, especially when combined with other therapies like vemurafenib.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

CTLA-4 blockade with ipilimumab: biology, safety, efficacy, and future considerations. Camacho, LH.[2022]

In a study analyzing 2,088 individual case safety reports (ICSRs) related to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in Italy, 801 reports documented serious immune-related adverse drug reactions (irADRs), primarily affecting male patients with gastrointestinal and skin toxicities.

Among the ICIs, nivolumab and pembrolizumab were most frequently associated with irADRs, with significant risks identified for pembrolizumab and ipilimumab, highlighting the need for oncologists to recognize and manage these serious side effects effectively.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors and Immune-Related Adverse Drug Reactions: Data From Italian Pharmacovigilance Database. Ruggiero, R., Fraenza, F., Scavone, C., et al.[2022]

In a study of 373 patients from 11 phase I clinical trials, ipilimumab-related grade 3/4 adverse events were more common in patients who responded to treatment, indicating a potential link between therapeutic response and toxicity.

The likelihood of experiencing severe adverse events increased with the number of additional agents used alongside ipilimumab, while longer treatment duration was associated with more low-grade toxicities but not high-grade ones.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Prognostic and predictive factors associated with ipilimumab-related adverse events: a retrospective analysis of 11 NCI-sponsored phase I clinical trials. Chauhan, A., Kabir, T., Wu, J., et al.[2023]

Adjuvant therapy using 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin (5-FU/LV) regimens and capecitabine has significantly improved 3-year disease-free survival rates in stage III colorectal cancer patients, indicating its efficacy in early disease stages.

The addition of oxaliplatin to 5-FU-based regimens has been confirmed to enhance disease-free survival, establishing it as a standard treatment alongside other chemotherapy options for colorectal cancer.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Rapid evolution in colorectal cancer: therapy now and over the next five years. de Gramont, A.[2007]

In a study of 62 advanced colorectal cancer patients resistant to fluorouracil, the oxaliplatin/irinotecan (OC) combination showed promising safety and efficacy, with median overall survival of 12.3 months.

The tritherapy regimen (5-FU/folinic acid combined with irinotecan and oxaliplatin) resulted in lower activity, possibly due to reduced dose intensities of the drugs, despite both regimens being generally safe with no treatment-related deaths.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Randomized multicenter phase II study comparing a combination of fluorouracil and folinic acid and alternating irinotecan and oxaliplatin with oxaliplatin and irinotecan in fluorouracil-pretreated metastatic colorectal cancer patients. Bécouarn, Y., Gamelin, E., Coudert, B., et al.[2018]

In a study of 16 patients with 5-fluorouracil-resistant metastatic colorectal cancer, irinotecan (CPT-11) demonstrated a partial response rate of 6.3% and a high rate of stable disease (43.7%), indicating its efficacy in this challenging patient population.

The median survival time for patients treated with CPT-11 was 69.6 weeks, with no toxic deaths reported, suggesting that CPT-11 is a safe and beneficial treatment option for patients resistant to standard therapies.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Clinical activity and benefit of irinotecan (CPT-11) in patients with metastatic colorectal carcinoma pre-treated with fluorouracil-based chemotherapy. Ratanatharathorn, V., Sirachainan, E., Jirajarus, M., et al.[2018]

Irinotecan (CPT-11) is significantly more effective than continuous-infusion 5-FU for patients with colorectal cancer who have not responded to previous treatments, improving survival and quality of life despite some treatment-related side effects.

Oxaliplatin, another new agent, shows significant activity against colorectal cancer and can be combined with irinotecan or 5-FU, potentially enhancing treatment effectiveness due to their different toxicity profiles.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The role of irinotecan and oxaliplatin in the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer. Khayat, D., Gil-Delgado, M., Antoine, EC., et al.[2018]

In a study of 25 patients with metastatic colorectal cancer treated with the triplet chemotherapy regimen OCX (oxaliplatin, irinotecan, capecitabine), the treatment showed a promising partial remission rate of 61% and a median overall survival of 32.9 months.

The OCX regimen was well tolerated, with no severe hematological side effects, although 24% of patients experienced grade 3 diarrhea, indicating manageable toxicity levels.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Efficacy of triplet combination chemotherapy with oxaliplatin, irinotecan and capecitabine (OCX) in metastatic colorectal cancer in relation to RAS/RAF mutation status: results of a retrospective analysis. Brunner, S., von Moos, R., Mey, U., et al.[2018]

In a study of 20 patients with advanced colorectal cancer who were rechallenged with the FOX chemotherapy regimen, there was a modest response rate of 18%, with 47% of patients experiencing stable disease.

The median progression-free survival was 3.7 months and median overall survival was 7.8 months, suggesting that while the radiologic response is uncommon, there may still be some benefit in terms of survival for selected patients.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Rechallenge with oxaliplatin and fluoropyrimidine for metastatic colorectal carcinoma after prior therapy. Townsend, AR., Bishnoi, S., Broadbridge, V., et al.[2022]

In a phase II study involving 45 patients with MSI-H/dMMR metastatic colorectal cancer, the combination of nivolumab and low-dose ipilimumab showed a high objective response rate of 69% and a disease control rate of 84%, indicating strong efficacy as a first-line treatment.

The treatment was well tolerated, with only 22% of patients experiencing grade 3-4 treatment-related adverse events, and 74% of responders maintained their response at the time of data cutoff, suggesting durability of the treatment effects.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

First-Line Nivolumab Plus Low-Dose Ipilimumab for Microsatellite Instability-High/Mismatch Repair-Deficient Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: The Phase II CheckMate 142 Study. Lenz, HJ., Van Cutsem, E., Luisa Limon, M., et al.[2022]

Nivolumab, a PD-1 inhibitor, is approved for treating various cancers, including metastatic colorectal cancer with specific genetic markers (deficient mismatch repair or microsatellite-instability high).

The FDA granted accelerated approval for nivolumab in July 2017 for patients with this type of colorectal cancer who have not responded to standard chemotherapy, highlighting its potential efficacy in a challenging patient population.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Nivolumab in the treatment of microsatellite instability high metastatic colorectal cancer. Mehrvarz Sarshekeh, A., Overman, MJ., Kopetz, S.[2022]

In a study of 30 patients aged over 80 with metastatic colorectal cancer, combination chemotherapy with a targeted agent (TA) showed a median progression-free survival of 7.4 months and overall survival of 15.4 months, compared to 4.4 months and 15.6 months for those without TA, although these differences were not statistically significant.

The study found that while combination chemotherapy with TA is feasible for elderly patients, careful monitoring is necessary due to potential hematologic toxicities, and salvage chemotherapy significantly improved overall survival after disease progression.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Clinical outcomes of targeted therapies in elderly patients aged ≥ 80 years with metastatic colorectal cancer. Jang, HR., Lee, HY., Song, SY., et al.[2022]

Citations

1. news.bms.com news.bms.com/news/details/2025/Bristol-Myers-Squibb-Presents-Results-from-CheckMate--8HW-Analysis-Evaluating-Opdivo-nivolumab-plus-Yervoy-ipilimumab-Compared-to-Opdivo-Monotherapy/default.aspx

8HW Analysis Evaluating Opdivo® (nivolumab) plus ... Patients experienced a 38% reduction in the risk of disease progression or death when treated with Opdivo plus Yervoy versus Opdivo monotherapy across all ...

2. opdivohcp.com opdivohcp.com/efficacy/crc

Efficacy Data for Colorectal Cancer (CRC) - Opdivo In melanoma patients receiving OPDIVO 1 mg/kg with YERVOY 3 mg/kg every 3 weeks, infusion-related reactions occurred in 2.5% (10/407) of patients. In HCC ...

3. fda.gov fda.gov/drugs/resources-information-approved-drugs/fda-approves-nivolumab-ipilimumab-unresectable-or-metastatic-msi-h-or-dmmr-colorectal-cancer

FDA approves nivolumab with ipilimumab for unresectable ... The major efficacy outcome measure was progression-free survival (PFS) assessed by blinded independent central review (BICR) per RECIST v1. 1 ...

4. cancer.gov cancer.gov/news-events/cancer-currents-blog/2025/fda-nivolumab-ipilimumab-dmmr-colorectal-cancer

Immunotherapy Combo Approved for dMMR Colorectal ... At 3 years after starting treatment, approximately 68% of patients in the combination group were still alive without their cancer having gotten ...

5. firstwordpharma.com firstwordpharma.com/story/5930450

Opdivo, Yervoy combo outperforms PD-1 alone in ... Earlier results showed that the Opdivo plus Yervoy combination led to a 79% reduction in the risk of disease progression or death, with ...

6. opdivo.com opdivo.com/msi-h-crc

MSI-H/dMMR Colorectal Cancer Treatment OPDIVO, alone or with YERVOY, is an FDA-approved immunotherapy option to treat advanced colorectal cancer (MSI-H/dMMR).

7. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6853093/

Safety of Nivolumab plus Low‐Dose Ipilimumab in Previously ... Nivolumab plus low‐dose ipilimumab demonstrated durable responses, high DCR, and high survival rates in previously treated patients with MSI‐H/dMMR mCRC [18].

8. ascopubs.org ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/JCO.2025.43.16_suppl.e15560

Efficacy and safety of nivolumab and ipilimumab in treating ... Efficacy and safety of nivolumab and ipilimumab in treating metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC): A systematic review and meta-analysis.