PD-1 and CTLA-4 blockade defined melanoma immunotherapy, and LAG-3 was the third checkpoint to be validated clinically. Opdualag (nivolumab and relatlimab) delivered it.
Pairing nivolumab with relatlimab, the first LAG-3 blocking antibody approved, it releases two independent brakes on exhausted T cells at once. The fixed-dose intravenous combination treats unresectable or metastatic melanoma in patients 12 years and older.
Opdualag showed improved progression-free survival over nivolumab alone with less toxicity than nivolumab plus ipilimumab, positioning it as a tolerability-driven first-line melanoma option. As a biologic with no biosimilar competition, it is the validating asset for the LAG-3 checkpoint class.
