Figlin Highlights Immunotherapy Developments in RCC

The emergence of immunotherapy in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has led to promising approaches to combat the disease, but investigators are still trying to determine how this class of agents compares with others and how to choose between combination strategies, said Robert A. Figlin, MD.

At the 2019 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, data presented included combination regimens of checkpoint inhibitors and VEGF TKIs. Pivotal findings from the phase III KEYNOTE-426 trial showed that the combination of pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and axitinib (Inlyta) reduced the risk of death by 47% compared with standard sunitinib (Sutent). Furthermore, the median progression-free survival was 15.1 months with the combination compared with 11.1 months in patients treated with TKI monotherapy. The median overall survival had not been reached in either arm at the time of the presentation.