Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab
Hyaluronidase-nvhy / nivolumab (Opdivo Qvantig) is an under-the-skin immunotherapy injection used for several cancers, including kidney, melanoma, lung, head and neck, bladder, colorectal, liver, esophageal and stomach cancers.
🧬 Where this information comes from Click to expand
The clinical label records used on this page are FDA-filed Structured Product Labeling (SPL) retrieved through openFDA. We identified 1 clinical label set within the page’s selected clinical scope after exact ingredient or ingredient-combination matching and applicable route/form matching. Forms, routes, brands, labelers, strengths, and NDC product-record counts are built separately from matching FDA National Drug Code Directory records. The linked DailyMed document is a representative official source for verification, not the page’s only clinical source. View the linked label on DailyMed →
Opdivo Qvantig, on the market since about 2024 and not available as a generic, is the under-the-skin form of Opdivo, a well-established immunotherapy, for kidney cancer, melanoma, lung cancer and several others. It pairs nivolumab, which blocks PD-1 so the immune system can attack cancer, with hyaluronidase, an enzyme that loosens tissue so the dose absorbs. Most people tolerate it better than chemotherapy, mainly noticing tiredness, itching or rash, diarrhea and muscle aches. Watch for the immune system turning on healthy organs like the lungs, colon, liver or hormone glands, reactions that can be severe or fatal and can start after treatment ends, so report new symptoms quickly.
Clinical pearls
- Your care team injects it under the skin of the belly or thigh over a few minutes, never into a vein.
- Expect liver, kidney and thyroid blood tests before and during treatment, since an underactive thyroid is one of its common effects.
- Tell any ER or other doctor you get immunotherapy, because a new cough or diarrhea may be an immune reaction needing steroids.
- Use effective birth control during treatment and for 5 months after the last dose, and do not breastfeed during that time.
Patient information guide A plain-language walkthrough of Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab, written from its FDA label.
What Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab is used for
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Opdivo Qvantig (nivolumab with hyaluronidase) is approved for these cancers, each with specific conditions:
- Advanced renal cell carcinoma (kidney cancer): after intravenous nivolumab plus ipilimumab, with cabozantinib as first-line treatment, or after prior anti-angiogenic therapy.
- Unresectable or metastatic melanoma, and adjuvant treatment of completely resected Stage IIB to IV melanoma (adults and children 12 and older weighing at least 30 kg).
- Non-small cell lung cancer: before surgery with chemotherapy, before and after surgery, and metastatic disease after platinum chemotherapy.
- Recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck after platinum therapy.
- Urothelial carcinoma: after surgery, first-line with cisplatin and gemcitabine, and after platinum chemotherapy.
- MSI-H or dMMR colorectal cancer (adults and children 12 and older weighing at least 30 kg).
- Hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer) after intravenous nivolumab plus ipilimumab.
- Esophageal cancer: after surgery, first-line with chemotherapy, and after prior chemotherapy.
- Gastric, gastroesophageal junction and esophageal adenocarcinoma with PD-L1 expression, with chemotherapy.
How Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab works
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Nivolumab is an antibody that blocks the PD-1 receptor on T cells (immune cells). Some tumors use this pathway to switch off the immune attack. Blocking it frees the immune system to fight the cancer.
Hyaluronidase is an enzyme that temporarily breaks down hyaluronan in the tissue under the skin. This helps the medicine spread and absorb. The effect is local and reverses within 24 to 48 hours.
Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab dosage
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Opdivo Qvantig is injected under the skin of the abdomen or thigh by a healthcare professional. The injection takes 3 to 5 minutes. It is never given into a vein.
- The schedule is every 2, 3 or 4 weeks depending on the cancer and treatment plan.
- Some people also receive chemotherapy or cabozantinib. Cabozantinib is taken by mouth without food.
- Treatment length varies, from a set number of cycles to up to 1 or 2 years, or until the cancer progresses or side effects become unacceptable.
Follow your prescriber's plan. Contact your care team if you miss a visit.
Dosing details from the FDA-approved label
From the Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab prescribing information (“Dosage and Administration”). Doses are set by your prescriber for your product, condition, kidney function and age — never change a dose on your own.
- Renal cell carcinoma
- 600 mg/10,000 units every 2 weeks or 1,200 mg/20,000 units every 4 weeks
- Subcutaneous injection over 3 to 5 minutes in the abdomen or thigh; duration until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity
- Renal cell carcinoma in combination with cabozantinib
- 600 mg/10,000 units every 2 weeks or 1,200 mg/20,000 units every 4 weeks, with cabozantinib 40 mg once daily without food
- OPDIVO QVANTIG until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, or up to 2 years
- Melanoma: adult and pediatric patients (12 years and older) who weigh 40 kg or greater
- 600 mg/10,000 units every 2 weeks or 1,200 mg/20,000 units every 4 weeks
- Weight 40 kg or greater
- Melanoma: pediatric patients (12 years and older) who weigh 30 kg or greater but less than 40 kg
- 300 mg/5,000 units every 2 weeks or 600 mg/10,000 units every 4 weeks
- Weight 30 kg or greater but less than 40 kg
- Neoadjuvant treatment of resectable (tumors ≥4 cm or node positive) non-small cell lung cancer
- 900 mg/15,000 units with platinum-doublet chemotherapy on the same day every 3 weeks for 3 cycles
- Neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatment of resectable non-small cell lung cancer
- 900 mg/15,000 units with platinum-doublet chemotherapy on the same day every 3 weeks for up to 4 cycles, then single-agent 1,200 mg/20,000 units every 4 weeks after surgery for up to 13 cycles (~1 year)
- Metastatic non-small cell lung cancer
- 600 mg/10,000 units every 2 weeks or 1,200 mg/20,000 units every 4 weeks
- First-line unresectable or metastatic urothelial carcinoma
- 900 mg/15,000 units every 3 weeks with cisplatin and gemcitabine on the same day for up to 6 cycles, then 600 mg/10,000 units every 2 weeks or 1,200 mg/20,000 units every 4 weeks
- MSI-H or dMMR metastatic colorectal cancer: pediatric patients weighing 30 kg or greater but less than 40 kg
- 300 mg/5,000 units every 2 weeks or 600 mg/10,000 units every 4 weeks
- Adults and pediatric patients weighing 40 kg or greater: 600 mg/10,000 units every 2 weeks or 1,200 mg/20,000 units every 4 weeks
- Gastric cancer, gastroesophageal junction cancer, and esophageal adenocarcinoma
- 600 mg/10,000 units every 2 weeks with fluoropyrimidine- and platinum-containing chemotherapy every 2 weeks
- Or 900 mg/15,000 units every 3 weeks with fluoropyrimidine- and platinum-containing chemotherapy every 3 weeks
Read the label’s full dosing text
2 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION • OPDIVO QVANTIG has different dosage and administration instructions than intravenous nivolumab products. • OPDIVO QVANTIG is for subcutaneous use only in the abdomen or thigh. • OPDIVO QVANTIG is to be administered by a healthcare professional only. (2.1) OPDIVO QVANTIG is for subcutaneous use only. • Administer by subcutaneous injection over 3 to 5 minutes. (2.3) • Renal cell carcinoma • 600 mg/10,000 units every 2 weeks or 1,200 mg/20,000 units every 4 weeks. (2.3) • 600 mg/10,000 units every 2 weeks or 1,200 mg/20,000 units every 4 weeks administered in combination with cabozantinib 40 mg once daily without food. (2.3) • Melanoma • Adult and pediatric patients (12 years and older) who weigh 40 kg or greater: 600 mg/10,000 units every 2 weeks or 1,200 mg/20,000 units every 4 weeks. (2.3) • Pediatric patients (12 years and older) who weigh 30 kg or greater but less than 40 kg: 300 mg/5,000 units every 2 weeks or 600 mg/10,000 units every 4 weeks. (2.3) • Neoadjuvant treatment of resectable (tumors ≥4 cm or node positive) non-small cell lung cancer • 900 mg/15,000 units with platinum-doublet chemotherapy on the same day every 3 weeks for 3 cycles. (2.3) • Neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatment of resectable non-small cell lung cancer • 900 mg/15,000 units with platinum-doublet chemotherapy on the same day every 3 weeks for up to 4 cycles, then continued as single-agent OPDIVO QVANTIG 1,200 mg/20,000 units every 4 weeks after surgery for up to 13 cycles (~1 year). (2.3) • Metastatic non-small cell lung cancer • 600 mg/10,000 units every 2 weeks or 1,200 mg/20,000 units every 4 weeks. (2.3) • Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck • 600 mg/10,000 units every 2 weeks or 1,200 mg/20,000 units every 4 weeks. (2.3) • Urothelial carcinoma • 600 mg/10,000 units every 2 weeks or 1,200 mg/20,000 units every 4 weeks. (2.3) • First-line unresectable or metastatic urothelial carcinoma • 900 mg/15,000 units every 3 weeks with cisplatin and gemcitabine on the same day for up to 6 cycles, then 600 mg/10,000 units every 2 weeks or 1,200 mg/20,000 units every 4 weeks. (2.3) • MSI-H or dMMR metastatic Colorectal cancer • Adult and pediatric patients weighing 40 kg or greater: 600 mg/10,000 units every 2 weeks or 1,200 mg/20,000 units every 4 weeks.
Excerpted — the section continues on the label. Read the full Dosage and Administration section on DailyMed →
Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab side effects
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Common side effects in the kidney cancer study included:
Common side effects
- Muscle and bone pain
- Tiredness
- Itching
- Rash
- Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)
- Diarrhea
- Cough
- Belly pain
When to get medical help
- Call your doctor right away about new or worsening cough, shortness of breath or chest pain (possible lung inflammation).
- Call about severe or persistent diarrhea, or belly pain (possible colon inflammation).
- Call about signs of liver problems, as the label advises liver tests during treatment.
- Call about headache, vision changes or extreme tiredness, which may signal hormone gland problems such as adrenal or pituitary inflammation.
- Tell your team about any new symptoms, even after treatment ends, because immune reactions can happen at any time.
- Report injection site reactions or any symptom that seems unusual.
Serious immune reactions can affect the lungs, colon, liver, hormone glands and other organs. Some can be fatal. Report new symptoms promptly.
Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab warnings and precautions
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- Immune-mediated reactions can be severe or fatal and can affect any organ, including lungs (pneumonitis), colon (colitis), liver (hepatitis), hormone glands (adrenal insufficiency, pituitary inflammation, thyroid), skin and kidneys. They can occur during or after treatment.
- Liver enzymes, creatinine and thyroid function are checked before and during treatment.
- Serious complications can occur in people who receive an allogeneic stem cell transplant before or after this type of drug.
- It can harm a developing baby.
- Using this drug class with thalidomide-type drugs plus dexamethasone for multiple myeloma is not recommended outside clinical trials.
Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab interactions
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The label highlights these combinations:
- Cabozantinib: raises the chance of liver enzyme elevations, so liver tests are done more often.
- Chemotherapy (platinum drugs, cisplatin, gemcitabine, fluoropyrimidines): side effects can overlap.
- Thalidomide-type drugs plus dexamethasone (multiple myeloma): not recommended outside clinical trials with PD-1 blockers.
Not a complete list. The label covers the interactions the manufacturer studied or reported, and our own interaction database does not cover every medicine either. Bring your full medication list, including vitamins and herbal products, to your pharmacist.
Before taking Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab
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- There are no listed contraindications.
- Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or could become pregnant. Pregnancy status is checked first.
- Use effective contraception during treatment and for 5 months after the last dose.
- Do not breastfeed during treatment and for 5 months after the last dose.
- Tell your team if you have had or may have a stem cell transplant.
- Children 12 and older weighing at least 30 kg may use it for certain melanoma and colorectal cancer uses only.
- Older adults had no overall differences in safety or effectiveness.
What Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab does in the body
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The relationship between drug exposure and its effects over time has not been fully characterized for Opdivo Qvantig. Its main action is blocking PD-1 to restore immune activity against tumors.
How your body processes Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab
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After the injection, about 74% of nivolumab is absorbed. Peak levels occur at around 6 days. Steady state is reached by about 16 weeks. The half-life is about 25 days. Compared with intravenous nivolumab in one study, the injection gave higher overall drug levels. Body weight, sex, kidney function and performance status did not cause clinically significant differences.
How to store Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab
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Store OPDIVO QVANTIG vials in a refrigerator at 2°C to 8°C (36°F to 46°F) in the original carton to protect from light. Do not freeze or shake.
Written from the FDA-approved label with AI and reviewed by our pharmacy team. How we use AI →
Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab: pharmacist answers to common questions
Quick, plain-English answers to the questions patients ask most about Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab — the kind of thing our pharmacy team would talk through with you at the counter.
What is Opdivo Qvantig used for?
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How is Opdivo Qvantig given?
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What happens if I miss a dose of Opdivo Qvantig?
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What side effects should I expect, and which should I call about?
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Can I take Opdivo Qvantig if I'm pregnant or breastfeeding?
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Will I need blood tests?
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Is Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab available over the counter?
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When was Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab first available?
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Answers drafted from the FDA-approved label with AI and reviewed by our pharmacy team. How we use AI →
More about Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab on HelloPharmacist
Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab forms and strengths (how it comes)
Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab is available in 1 form. Different forms and brands can have different approved uses, doses, schedules, and directions. Follow the instructions for your exact product, and do not switch forms without guidance from your prescriber or pharmacist.
Need a version that does not list lactose, a gluten source, a dye or gelatin? Inactive ingredients differ by manufacturer: see Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab inactive ingredients by manufacturer.
Injection
How this form is used
- Opdivo Qvantig is used for several cancers, including kidney cancer, melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, bladder cancer, colorectal cancer, liver cancer, esophageal cancer and stomach cancer.
- Opdivo Qvantig is not approved in combination with ipilimumab.
- Opdivo Qvantig is injected under the skin of the abdomen or thigh by a healthcare professional only.
- Opdivo Qvantig is given over 3 to 5 minutes and must not be given into a vein.
- Opdivo Qvantig has different dosing instructions than intravenous nivolumab products.
- Adults on intravenous nivolumab may switch to Opdivo Qvantig at their next scheduled dose.
Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab on the U.S. market: products, makers and brands
How Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab appears in the FDA’s National Drug Code Directory — including its dosage forms, strengths, brand names, manufacturers, and FDA-listed product records. These are directory records, not sales or prescription volume.
1 company lists 2 Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab product records with the FDA, mostly as injection; the earliest marketing or approval year on record is 2024. Brand names on the directory include Opdivo Qvantig; the rest are generics.
How widely Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab is used (Medicaid data)
A general measure of how commonly Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab is prescribed, based on Medicaid — one of the largest public drug programs. The figure below is prescriptions filled in Q1–Q4 2025, summed across every form and brand of the drug.
Think of this as a proxy for how widely Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab is used, drawn from freely available public data. Medicaid is just one program — these numbers don’t include Medicare, other government coverage, or commercial and cash-pay prescriptions, so real-world use is higher than what’s shown here.
How commonly is Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab prescribed? Of the 1,601 medications we measure, Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab ranks #1,469 by Medicaid prescriptions — more than 8% of them.
Utilization by Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab product
Pick a product to see its own Medicaid numbers. Each chip is one clinical product — a specific strength & dosage form as defined by RxNorm — with brand-name and generic versions combined.
5 ML hyaluronidase-nvhy 2000 UNT/ML / nivolumab-nvhy 120 MG/ML Injection
Summed across the 1 of 1 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 2700798
Shares are of the Medicaid prescriptions shown here. Product grouping follows RxNorm (the National Library of Medicine’s drug terminology), so “one product” means one strength & dosage form regardless of manufacturer. Dollar figures are gross Medicaid reimbursement before mandatory rebates — rebates (often large, especially for brand-name drugs) are confidential, so actual net cost to Medicaid is lower than shown.
Source: Medicaid State Drug Utilization Data (CMS), aggregated by generic ingredient — summed across every NDC (all brands, strengths, salt forms and dosage forms) of Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab, and across all states and both fee-for-service and managed-care claims. A general popularity signal; it excludes Medicare, commercial insurance and cash prescriptions, so it is not total U.S. use. Based on the 1 of 1 listed Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab NDCs with Medicaid activity.
Compare Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab products
A representative set of FDA-listed product records for Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab — across manufacturers, strengths, and dosage forms, grouped by form with each product’s manufacturer and how the FDA approved it. The same medicine may be made and packaged by different companies, so a single drug can have many directory entries. (It’s also why a refill can look different — a new shape, color, or box — even though it contains the same medication.)
| Strength | Route | Manufacturer / Labeler | Category ⓘ | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 💊Injection | ||||
| NIVOLUMAB 2000 U/mL; HYALURONIDASE (HUMAN RECOMBINANT) 120 mg/mL | Subcutaneous | E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C. × 2 listings | BLA | View NDC → |
Showing 2 of 2 products — FDA National Drug Code Directory. See every product, package size and price: browse all 2 Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab NDCs →
Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab side effects reported to the FDA (FAERS)
After a medicine reaches the market, patients, doctors and drugmakers can send the FDA reports of problems they think may be linked to it. Here’s what’s been reported for Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab — a signal of what to watch for, not proof the drug caused it.
Source: openFDA, from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). These are voluntary reports — they don’t prove the drug caused the effect, and counts reflect how often something was reported, not how often it actually happens. Reports also often name the very problem the medicine is taken for — a common reason to file one is that the drug didn’t help — so for a pain reliever you may see “pain” high on the list; that points to why the report was filed, not to the drug causing the symptom. This counts every report that lists Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab in any role, so the total runs higher than the FDA’s official dashboard, which counts only cases where the drug is the suspect. For the authoritative figures, see the FDA FAERS Public Dashboard. Always talk to your pharmacist or doctor.
Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab FDA approval history
How Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab went from FDA review to the pharmacy shelf — the key milestones in its regulatory journey.
Source: Drugs@FDA.
Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab recall history
A recall is when a specific batch of a medicine is pulled from the market — usually a manufacturing issue, not a problem with the drug itself. Class I is most serious, Class III least.
The FDA’s enforcement reports list no Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab recalls since July 2021.
✅No Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab recalls on record since July 2021Source: FDA enforcement (recall) reports, via openFDA; our copy was last updated Sep 24, 2026.
RxNorm Concept Web — From Ingredient to Every Form and Strength
This page starts with one exact multiple-ingredient concept (MIN). The branches below show its dose-form concepts (SCDF), then the available clinical drug and strength concepts (SCD). A product with a different ingredient combination belongs on a different page.
RxCUI 2700793 1 dose form · 2 strengths
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Dose form (SCDF) Injection RxCUI 2700795In current FDA listingsClinical drug / strength (SCD) 2.5 ML hyaluronidase-nvhy 2000 UNT/ML / nivolumab-nvhy 120 MG/MLRxCUI 27284915 ML hyaluronidase-nvhy 2000 UNT/ML / nivolumab-nvhy 120 MG/MLRxCUI 2700798
Look up RxCUI 2700793 in the RxCUI Atlas →
RxNorm is the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s normalized drug vocabulary. Its concept hierarchy can include forms that are not currently marketed; the status on each branch compares that concept with current FDA listings. RxCUIs identify vocabulary concepts, not individual packages or manufacturers.
Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab supply and shortage status
Whether Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab is in short supply in the U.S. right now, plus any shortage history the FDA has on record. A shortage usually reflects a manufacturing or demand issue — not a safety problem with the drug.
Source: openFDA, from the FDA Drug Shortages database.
Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab brand names
Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab is sold under one brand name in the FDA directory — Opdivo Qvantig. A brand and its generic contain the same active ingredient; the brand name belongs to one company's product.
Who makes Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab: manufacturers and labelers
One company lists Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab products with the FDA. By number of product records, the largest are E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.. Labelers include manufacturers and repackagers; the product in your bottle depends on which one your pharmacy stocks.
Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab drug class (RxNorm)
Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab belongs to the Programmed Death Receptor-1 Blocking Antibody class.
Classified by RxNorm RxClass — the U.S. National Library of Medicine's standardized drug-classification service (Established Pharmacologic Class from the FDA, the ATC drug family from the WHO, and mechanism of action). Reference only, not medical advice.
Sources for this Hyaluronidase-Nvhy / Nivolumab page
Core label, product, RxNorm, safety, and utilization data on this page come from the sources identified below. AI-written, editorial, and licensed sections are labeled separately.
How this page is built
HelloPharmacist combines public FDA and NLM records and does not author the underlying clinical facts. The plain-language sections are written with AI from the FDA-approved label text and reviewed by our pharmacy team before publication. E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C. is the representative DailyMed label linked for verification and dates. This is general education, not medical advice: always talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own medicines. How we build and review drug pages →