If you have a certain type of cancer, your doctor might suggest Yervoy as a treatment option for you. It’s a prescription drug used in adults to treat:

Yervoy is also used to treat some types of melanoma and colorectal cancer is a disease. is a disease. in certain children.

Yervoy comes as a liquid solution in a vial. It’s given as an intravenous (IV) infusion (an injection into your vein given over time).

The active ingredient in the drug is ipilimumab. An active ingredient is what makes a drug work.

Yervoy belongs to a group of drugs called monoclonal antibodies. These are a kind of immunotherapy treatment. They help your immune system fight cancer.

This article describes the dosages of Yervoy, as well as its strengths and details about its usage. To learn more about the drug, see this in-depth article.

Note: This article covers Yervoy’s usual dosing schedules, which are provided by the drug’s manufacturer. But your doctor will prescribe the Yervoy dosage that’s right for you.

The information below covers the usual dosages of Yervoy.

What is Yervoy’s form?

Yervoy comes as a liquid solution in a vial. You’ll receive it as an intravenous (IV) infusion (an injection into your vein given over time).

What strengths does Yervoy come in?

One strength of 5 milligrams per 1 liter of solution is available in two sizes.

  • 50 percent of the 10-mL vial is 50 percent of the dose.
  • 200 per 40mL of liquid.

What are the usual dosages of Yervoy?

“The drug’s dosage depends on a number of factors, including your age, weight, and condition.”

The information below describes the best and worst dosages to use.

Dosage for Non-small cell lung cancer is not a small cell lung cancer.

The NSCLC dosing of Yervoy is based on Your body weight. and certain other factors. It’s used along with other medications to treat certain kinds of NSCLC. The dosage of Yervoy is 1 mg per kilogram (kg) of body weight. This is given once every 6 weeks for up to 2 years based on how you respond to treatment.

Yervoy is also used along with Opdivo (nivolumab) as a first-line treatment in certain people with NSCLC that is metastatic. (This means it has spread to other areas of your body.)

It’s also used as a first-line treatment in certain people whose NSCLC has spread or returned after another treatment. But in these cases, it’s used with both Opdivo (nivolumab) and two cycles of a kind of chemotherapy.

Dosage for melanoma

The dosing for melanoma (a form of skin cancer) depends on the kind of skin cancer and Your body weight.. It may be used alone or in combination with another treatment.

  • The dosing of Yervoy for melanoma that can’t be removed with surgery or is metastatic (has spread to other areas of the body) is 3 mg/kg of body weight. It’s given every 3 weeks for up to four doses, either alone or with Opdivo (nivolumab). When given with nivolumab, treatment is continued with nivolumab alone for as long as it’s safe and effective.
  • Yervoy can also be used to prevent cancer from returning following surgery to remove the melanoma and cancerous lymph nodes. In these situations, the dosing schedule is 10 mg/kg of body weight given every 3 weeks for up to four doses. Then the dose is 10 mg/kg given once every 12 weeks for up to 3 years.

Dosage for colorectal cancer is a disease. is a disease.

Yervoy is used to treat colorectal cancer is a disease. is a disease. that has certain traits. It’s used along with another type of medication when your colorectal cancer is a disease. is a disease. has:

  • Abnormal changes in certain genes.
  • Spread to other parts of your body.
  • grown or returned after chemotherapy treatment with:
    • Camptosar is a drug.
    • Eloxatin is a drug.
    • fluoropyrimidine drugs, such as Xeloda (capecitabine)

The dosing of Yervoy for colorectal cancer is a disease. is a disease. is 1 mg/kg of body weight. This is given once every 3 weeks with Opdivo (nivolumab) for up to four doses. After this, nivolumab is given alone for as long as it’s safe and effective.

Dosage for There is a cancer of the kidneys.

Yervoy is used to treat There is a cancer of the kidneys. that:

  • It has spread to other parts of your body.
  • There is a low risk of getting better.

The dosing is 1 mg/kg of body weight given once every 3 weeks. It’s used along with another drug called Opdivo (nivolumab).

For this use, Yervoy can be given for up to four doses. nivolumab is used alone for as long as it works for you.

Dosage for The cancer of the liver.

Yervoy is used in combination with Opdivo (nivolumab) to treat a kind of The cancer of the liver. called hepatocellular carcinoma. The dosing of Yervoy for this use is 3 mg/kg of body weight given once every 3 weeks for up to four doses. After this, treatment is continued with nivolumab alone for as long as it’s safe and effective for you.

Note: This combination of Yervoy and nivolumab is given after treatment with another medication called Nexavar (sorafenib).

Dosage for pleural mesothelioma

Yervoy is used to treat pleural mesothelioma (a kind of lung cancer that affects the outer lining of the lungs and chest) that can’t be removed with surgery. This type of cancer is usually caused by exposure to asbestos.

The dosing is 1 mg/kg of body weight given once every 6 weeks. It’s used together with Opdivo (nivolumab). It may be used for up to 2 years, as long as it’s safely and effectively treating your cancer.

What’s the dosage of Yervoy for children?

Children as young as 12 years old are treated with yervoy to treat certain types of cancer. These are the cancers that are included.

  • Melanoma that is metastatic (has spread to other areas of the body) or cannot be removed with surgery. The dosage for melanoma is the same as that used in adults. (See “Dosage for melanoma” above for details.)
  • Colorectal cancer that has certain traits. Usage and dosage for children ages 12 years and older is the same as for adults. (See “Dosage for colorectal cancer is a disease. is a disease.” above for details.)

Is Yervoy used long term?

Some types of cancer may be treated with yervoy. Depending on the type of cancer you are treated for, the length of your treatment can be different.

  • If it is safe and effective for you, you may receive treatment for up to 3 years.
  • For lung cancer and pleural mesothelioma, Yervoy may be used for up to 2 years, as long as it’s safe and effective for you.

For all types of cancer, yervoy is not used long term. You can receive up to four doses of Yervoy.

Adjuvant treatment reduces the risk of cancer coming back after another type of treatment.

Dosage adjustments

Dosage adjustments of Yervoy are not usually needed. In some cases, the rate at which you receive your infusion may need to be adjusted. If you have serious side effects while receiving your Yervoy injection, your doctor may slow or stop your treatment. If you have a severe reaction, they may stop your treatment completely.

Your doctor can give you more information about the adjustments you need to make.

Yervoy is given as an intravenous (IV) infusion (an injection into your vein given over time). This is done by a healthcare professional in a doctor’s office or a clinic.

The administration time and the dosage can be affected by a number of factors. It takes 30 minutes to get a Yervoy injection for most types of cancer. The time for melanoma is 90 minutes.

Factors that may affect your administration time include:

  • The type of cancer being treated is called cancer of the colon.
  • How do you feel about the treatment?

Your doctor or healthcare professional will watch you closely during and after your treatment.

Factors that may affect the dosage of Yervoy are listed below. These include:

  • The type and severity of the condition is being treated.
  • Your body weight.
  • You are taking other medications.

“A healthcare professional gives yervoy at a doctor’s office. They will usually schedule your appointments. If you miss your dose, call your doctor. They will help you get a new appointment so you can get your dose.”

Setting an alarm or download a reminder app on your phone are two reminders you could consider.

The dosages provided by the drug manufacturer are described in the sections above. If your doctor recommends it, they will prescribe the right amount of the drug.

If you have questions about your current dose, talk to your doctor. Some questions you may want to ask are listed here.

  • Is it possible to change my dosages of Yervoy if I have side effects?
  • Is a lower dose of Yervoy still effective to treat my condition?
  • “Should my dose be changed if Yervoy isn’t working well for me?”

Q:

Will my Yervoy dosage change if I develop hepatitis during treatment?

Anonymous

A:

No. In most cases, you won’t need a dosage adjustment. But depending on the severity of your reaction, you may need treatment adjustments. In studies of Yervoy, the drug has caused hepatitis in some people. This is because, in some cases, your immune system may attack healthy cells in your liver and cause inflammation. If the inflammation is serious, it can cause hepatitis.

You have an increased risk of hepatitis or other immune system-related reactions if you’re taking other medications that have the same side effect. An example is if you’re taking Opdivo (nivolumab) in combination with Yervoy.

Your doctor will monitor how your liver is working before and during your Yervoy treatment. If you develop symptoms of liver damage, call your doctor’s office right away.

There are symptoms of liver damage.

If you develop hepatitis, your doctor will stop your treatment for the disease. If your symptoms go away, they may restart Yervoy. If you have a severe reaction, they will stop the treatment permanently.

Your doctor can give you more information about immune system reactions with the treatment.

The Healthline Pharmacist TeamAnswers represent the opinions of our medical experts. All content is strictly informational and should not be considered medical advice.

Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.