Opdivo: Uses, How It Works, and Common Side Effects

Opdivo is a medication used to help your body fight certain cancers. It is an immunotherapy treatment that can be given alone or in combination with other therapies, including Yervoy.

Opdivo was first approved by the FDA in 2014 for advanced melanoma, and can also currently treat other stages of melanoma, bladder cancer, stomach and esophagus cancer, colorectal cancer, liver cancer, Classical Hodgkin lymphoma, kidney cancer, certain cancers that affect the lungs, and squamous cell cancer of the head and neck.

Opdivo is available as an intravenous infusion given over 30 minutes, every 2 to 4 weeks depending on the type of cancer you have. Another version, called Opdivo Qvantig, is given under the skin over 3 to 5 minutes.

The most common side effects of Opdivo when used alone are fatigue, rash, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, pain in muscles, bones or joints, loss of appetite, diarrhea, constipation, itching, weakness, back pain, upper respiratory tract infection, fever, cough, shortness of breath, and headache.

This medication belongs to the drug class called immune checkpoint inhibitors. It’s also called a programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1)-blocking antibody.

It works to fight cancer cells by attaching to a protein called PD-1 on immune cells called T-cells. By blocking this protein, Opdivo allows T-cells to recognize and attack cancer cells.

This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always consult with your healthcare provider.