
The first-ever
study using breath analysis has been shown to differentiate between responders
and non-responders of the immunotherapy combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab
in mesothelioma patients. Thus, predicting the effectiveness in certain
patients and preventing other patients from unnecessary side effects.
Under the brand names Opdivo and Yervoy, the combination of nivolumab and
ipilimumab, was approved as a first-line treatment of mesothelioma by
the U.S. FDA in October 2020. The immunotherapy regimen demonstrated promising
improvements in overall survival for a certain subset of mesothelioma patients.
The researchers in the Netherlands who used the eNose technology, hope
it will become the standard tool for screening response to treatment and
assessing future prognosis.