Bristol-Myers says cancer drug combo reduces death risk

Bristol-Myers Squibb said on Monday its cancer drugs, Opdivo and Yervoy, reduced the risk of the disease spreading or death in previously untreated patients with a type of lung cancer.

The combination demonstrated a higher rate of progression-free survival, compared with chemotherapy in a late-stage trial, the company said.

The results come a week after rival Merck & Co said a trial testing its blockbuster drug Keytruda as a monotherapy in previously untreated lung cancer patients was successful.