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.