Head and neck squamous cell carcincoma (HNSCC) tumors are highly immunogenic and have elevated expression of immune checkpoint modulators. As such, there has been much interest in the development of immunotherapies to allow for targeted treatment programs. 

The first immunotherapies approved for recurrent/metastatic HNSCCs are anti-PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) Keytruda (for first and second line) and Opdivo (second line only). In this setting, Datamonitor Healthcare expects that ICIs will be used primarily for first-line patients, which should allow Keytruda, which is approved both as monotherapy and in combination with chemotherapy, to dominate over Opdivo. 

This Datamonitor Healthcare report contains a Disease Analysis module.