Yervoy (Ipilimumab) for Melanoma

Overview
Yervoy, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of melanoma, is indicated for treating adults and children 12 years and older with unresectable (inoperable) or metastatic melanoma as a single agent or in combination with nivolumab. Additionally, Yervoy is approved for the adjuvant (post-surgical) treatment of adults with cutaneous melanoma with involvement of certain lymph nodes who have undergone complete resection, including total lymphadenectomy. Yervoy is also known by its drug name, ipilimumab.

Ipilimumab belongs to a class of drugs known as immune checkpoint inhibitors. It works by enhancing the immune system's ability to fight cancer by blocking the activity of CTLA-4, a protein that downregulates the immune response. By inhibiting CTLA-4, Yervoy boosts the body’s immune response against melanoma cells.

How do I take it?
Yervoy is administered via intravenous infusion. For unresectable or metastatic melanoma, doses are usually administered every three weeks for a maximum of four doses, either alone or immediately following nivolumab. For adjuvant treatment, it’s generally administered every three weeks for four doses, followed by additional doses every 12 weeks for up to three years. Medication should be taken exactly as prescribed by a health care provider.

Side effects
According to Yervoy’s prescribing information, common side effects include fatigue, diarrhea, pruritus (itching), rash, and colitis. At higher doses, common side effects include nausea, vomiting, headache, weight loss, pyrexia (fever), decreased appetite, and insomnia (difficulty sleeping).

Rare but serious side effects may include severe and fatal immune-mediated adverse reactions affecting any organ system or tissue, infusion-related reactions; complications in people who have undergone or will undergo allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT); and embryo-fetal toxicity.

For more information about this treatment, visit:

Highlights of Prescribing Information: Yervoy  — U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Ipilimumab Injection — MedlinePlus