Last Review Date: 07/01/2025

Date of Origin: 04/04/2022

Dates Reviewed: 04/2022, 11/2022, 05/2023, 09/2023, 12/2023, 03/2024, 07/2025

1. Length of Authorization ^1,5

• Initial: Prior authorization validity will be provided initially for 6 months, unless otherwise specified.

• Neoadjuvant treatment of Cutaneous Melanoma: Prior authorization validity will be provided initially for 2 doses only.

• Renewal: Prior authorization validity may be renewed every 6 months thereafter, unless otherwise specified.

• Neoadjuvant treatment of Cutaneous Melanoma: Prior authorization validity may NOT be renewed.

2. Dosing Limits

Max Units (per dose and over time) [HCPCS Unit]:

• 160 billable units (480 mg nivolumab/160 mg relatlimab) every 28 days

3. Initial Approval Criteria ¹

Coverage is provided for the following conditions:

• Patient is at least 12 years of age; AND

Universal Criteria ^1-3

• Patient weighs at least 40 kg; AND
• Patient has not received previous therapy with a programmed death (PD-1/PD-L1)-directed therapy, unless otherwise specified ^∆; AND

Cutaneous Melanoma † ‡ Ф ^1-4

• Used as first-line therapy for unresectable or metastatic* disease; OR

• Used as subsequent therapy unresectable or metastatic* disease; AND
  • Used for disease progression, intolerance, and/or projected risk of progression with BRAF-targeted therapy (e.g., dabrafenib/trametinib, vemurafenib/cobimetinib, encorafenib/binimetinib, etc.); OR
    • Used as re-induction therapy in patients with prior combination anti-PD-1/LAG-3 therapy that resulted in disease control (i.e., complete response, partial response, or stable disease) with no residual toxicity, but with disease progression or relapse >3 months after treatment discontinuation; OR
• Used as neoadjuvant therapy; AND
  • Patient has stage III disease; AND

• Used as primary treatment for clinically positive, resectable nodal disease; OR
• Used for limited resectable disease with clinical satellite/in-transit metastases; OR

• Patient has limited resectable local satellite/in-transit recurrence; OR
• Patient has resectable disease limited to nodal recurrence

*Metastatic disease includes stage III unresectable/borderline resectable disease with clinically positive node(s) or clinical satellite/in-transit metastases, as well as unresectable/borderline resectable local satellite/in-transit recurrence, unresectable nodal recurrence, and widely disseminated distant metastatic disease.

† FDA Approved Indication(s); ‡ Compendia Recommended Indication(s); Ф Orphan Drug

4. Renewal Criteria ^1-4

Coverage may be renewed based upon the following criteria:

• Patient continues to meet the universal and other indication-specific relevant criteria such as concomitant therapy requirements (not including prerequisite therapy), performance status, etc. identified in section III; AND
• Duration of authorization has not been exceeded (refer to Section I); AND
• Absence of unacceptable toxicity from the drug. Examples of unacceptable toxicity include: severe infusion-related reactions, complications of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), severe immune-mediated adverse reactions (i.e., pneumonitis, colitis, hepatitis, endocrinopathies, nephritis/renal dysfunction, dermatologic adverse reactions/rash, myocarditis, etc.), etc.; AND
• Disease response with treatment as defined by stabilization of disease or decrease in size of tumor or tumor spread

5. Dosage/Administration ^{∆ 1,5}

6. Billing Code/Availability Information

HCPCS Code:

• J9298 – Injection, nivolumab and relatlimab-rmbw, 3 mg/1 mg; 1 billable unit = 3 mg nivolumab/1 mg relatlimab-rmbw

NDC:

• Opdualag 240 mg of nivolumab and 80 mg of relatlimab per 20 mL single-dose vial: 00003-7125-xx

7. References

1. Opdualag [package insert]. Princeton, NJ; Bristol-Myers Squibb Company; March 2024. Accessed June 2025.
2. Referenced with permission from the NCCN Drugs & Biologics Compendium (NCCN Compendium®) nivolumab-relatlimab. National Comprehensive Cancer Network, 2025. The NCCN Compendium® is a derivative work of the NCCN Guidelines®. NATIONAL COMPREHENSIVE CANCER NETWORK®, NCCN®, and NCCN GUIDELINES® are trademarks owned by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, Inc. To view the most recent and complete version of the Compendium, go online to NCCN.org. Accessed June 2025.

3. Tawbi HA, Schadendorf D, Lipson EJ; RELATIVITY-047 Investigators, et al. Relatlimab and nivolumab versus nivolumab in untreated advanced melanoma. N Engl J Med. 2022;386:24-34.
4. Referenced with permission from the NCCN Drugs & Biologics Compendium (NCCN Compendium^®) Melanoma: Cutaneous. Version 2.2025. National Comprehensive Cancer Network, 2025. The NCCN Compendium^® is a derivative work of the NCCN Guidelines^®. NATIONAL COMPREHENSIVE CANCER NETWORK^®, NCCN^®, and NCCN GUIDELINES® are trademarks owned by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, Inc. To view the most recent and complete version of the Compendium, go online to NCCN.org. Accessed June 2025.
5. Amaria RN, Postow M, Burton EM, et al. Neoadjuvant relatlimab and nivolumab in resectable melanoma. Nature 2022;611:155-160. Erratum in: Nature 2023;615:E23.

Appendix 1 – Covered Diagnosis Codes

Appendix 2 – Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)

The preceding information is intended for non-Medicare coverage determinations. Medicare coverage for outpatient (Part B) drugs is outlined in the Medicare Benefit Policy Manual (Pub. 100-2), Chapter 15, §50 Drugs and Biologicals. In addition, National Coverage Determinations (NCDs) and/or Local Coverage Determinations (LCDs) may exist and compliance with these policies is required where applicable. Local Coverage Articles (LCAs) may also exist for claims payment purposes or to clarify benefit eligibility under Part B for drugs which may be self-administered. The following link may be used to search for NCD, LCD, or LCA documents: https://www.cms.gov/medicare-coverage-database/search.aspx. Additional indications, including any preceding information, may be applied at the discretion of the health plan.

Medicare Part B Covered Diagnosis Codes (applicable to existing NCD/LCD/LCA): N/A