Andreas Kaubisch, MD

Andreas Kaubisch, MD, associate attending physician, Montefiore Medical Center, and associate professor, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, discusses the phase III REACH and REACH-2 trials in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

In the REACH trial, investigators reported a small benefit with ramucirumab (Cyramza) versus placebo in patients with previously treated advanced HCC. The benefit was even more pronounced in patients who had an alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) value of 400 ng/mL or higher. 

The REACH-2 trial was designed to evaluate ramucirumab, specifically in patients with an AFP value of 400 ng/mL or higher. The benefit was modest, but statistically significant, says Kaubisch. These data served as the basis for the agent’s FDA approval as second-line therapy in this patient population in May 2019. As the drug was only recently approved, the field is still learning how to optimize its use in clinical practice, concludes Kaubisch.

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Andreas Kaubisch, MD, discusses the phase III REACH and REACH-2 trials in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

Dr. Kaubisch on the REACH Trials in HCC

Andreas Kaubisch, MD, associate attending physician, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, discusses available treatment options for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

There are a few different classes of drugs available to treat patients with HCC, explains Kaubisch. In the class of oral tyrosine kinase inhibitors, sorafenib (Nexavar) is the original drug in this group with regorafenib (Stivarga) and cabozantinib (Cabometyx) joining the class of approved tyrosine kinase inhibitors later, according to Kaubisch.

The immunotherapy drugs nivolumab (Opdivo) and pembrolizumab (Keytruda) are also available to treat patients with HCC, says Kaubisch. Additionally, ramucirumab (Cyramza), an antibody to VEGF, as a single agent was 

 in May 2019 for patients with HCC who have an alpha fetoprotein level of ≥400 ng/ML and have been previously treated with sorafenib, concludes Kaubisch.

Andreas Kaubisch, MD, discusses available treatment options for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Author | Andreas Kaubisch, MD

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Dr. Kaubisch on the REACH Trials in HCC

Dr. Kaubisch on Treatment Options for HCC