Ipilimumab in the treatment of metastatic melanoma: a summary of recent studies

In the last 20 years, the survival and quality of life outcomes for patients with metastatic melanoma have been poor, with unsatisfactory results of chemotherapy and immunotherapy-based regimens. No drug or combination of drugs had any impact on survival until 2011, when ipilimumab, a monoclonal antibody against cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4), was approved for clinical use. Phase III trials have shown, for the first time ever, an overall survival benefit of ipilimumab compared with standard treatment, with a manageable toxicity profile. This review will discuss the mechanism of action of ipilimumab and the clinical trials that led to its approval.