UPDATE 2-Bristol Myers' Opdivo-Yervoy combo meets main goal in liver cancer trial

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March 20 (Reuters) - Bristol Myers Squibb said on Wednesday a combination of Opdivo and Yervoy met the main goal of a late-stage study evaluating it as an initial treatment for a type of liver cancer.

The results bolster the company's efforts to expand the use for the blockbuster drugs that are set to lose their market exclusivity before the end of the decade.

The treatment, tested in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), met the main goal of a 668-patient trial by extending survival compared to Eisai's Lenvima or Bayer's Nexavar.

Bristol Myers will complete a full evaluation of the data and share the results at an upcoming medical conference, as well as discuss with health authorities.

HCC occurs in about 85% of patients diagnosed with cirrhosis, and is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, according to U.S. government data.

Opdivo plus Yervoy is already approved to treat cancers of the skin, lung, kidney, colon and esophagus. The combination is also used to treat HCC patients who have been given Nexavar.

Opdivo, which is one of the top sellers for Bristol Myers, brought in $9.01 billion in revenue in 2023, while Yervoy earned $2.24 billion in the same period.

(Reporting by Puyaan Singh; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)