{"entity":{"id":"lag3-blockade","kind":"technology","name":"LAG-3 blockade","aka":[],"tldr":"Antibodies against LAG-3, another brake on tired T cells; relatlimab plus nivolumab became the first approved LAG-3 combination for melanoma in 2022.","summary":"Lymphocyte activation gene 3 (LAG-3) is a checkpoint expressed on exhausted T cells that binds MHC class II and fibrinogen-like protein 1. The fixed-dose combination of relatlimab and nivolumab (Opdualag) roughly doubled progression-free survival compared with nivolumab alone in untreated advanced melanoma in the RELATIVITY-047 trial and was approved by the FDA in 2022, the first new checkpoint class since PD-1. Trials in lung, colorectal and other cancers continue, with mixed results.","status":"approved","asOf":"2026-09-04","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LAG3","links":[{"label":"Wikipedia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LAG3"}],"tags":[],"related":[],"cancers":["melanoma"],"sections":["immunotherapy"],"technologies":[],"targets":["lag3"],"drugs":["nivolumab"],"companies":[],"institutions":[],"pathways":[],"terms":[],"trials":[],"people":[],"bottlenecks":[],"keyPapers":[],"journals":[],"dependsOn":[],"notes":[],"principle":"Antibodies block LAG-3 binding to its ligands so exhausted T cells regain function, usually combined with PD-1 blockade because the two pathways co-inhibit.","strengths":["First new approved checkpoint class after CTLA-4 and PD-1","Adds efficacy without the toxicity of CTLA-4 combinations"],"limitations":["Benefit shown mainly in melanoma so far","No validated predictive biomarker","Overall survival gain modest"],"since":2022},"route":"/technologies/lag3-blockade/","neighbours":{"cancer":[{"id":"advanced-melanoma","kind":"cancer","name":"Advanced melanoma (unresectable stage III and stage IV)","route":"/cancers/advanced-melanoma/"},{"id":"melanoma","kind":"cancer","name":"Melanoma","route":"/cancers/melanoma/"}],"section":[{"id":"immunotherapy","kind":"section","name":"Immunotherapy","route":"/fronts/immunotherapy/"}],"target":[{"id":"fgl1","kind":"target","name":"FGL1","route":"/targets/fgl1/"},{"id":"lag3","kind":"target","name":"LAG-3","route":"/targets/lag3/"}],"drug":[{"id":"favezelimab","kind":"drug","name":"Favezelimab","route":"/drugs/favezelimab/"},{"id":"nivolumab","kind":"drug","name":"Nivolumab","route":"/drugs/nivolumab/"}],"trial":[{"id":"nct03486873","kind":"trial","name":"Long-term Safety and Efficacy Extension Study for Participants With Advanced Tumors Who Are Currently on Treatment or in Follow-up in a Pemb","route":"/trials/nct03486873/"}]}}