According to a story from BioSpace, EUSA Pharma and AVEO Oncology recently announced the release of updated interim results from the second Phase of a Phase Ib/2 clinical trial which is testing a combination treatment of tivozanib and nivolumab as a therapy for renal cell carcinoma. This Phase 2 portion of the trial is intended to measure both the safety and anti-tumor activity of this combination.
About Renal Cell Carcinoma
Renal cell carcinoma is a cancer of the kidney that generally appears in the lining of the proximal convoluted tubule, a passage in the kidney that transports primary urine. Though generally considered rare, it is the most common type of kidney cancer to affect adults. There are several risk factors that an increase a person’s likelihood of getting renal cell carcinoma, such as smoking, obesity, and high blood pressure. Other risk factors include long term use of NSAIDs, hysterectomy, certain genetic disorders, family history, and cystic disease of the kidney. This cancer rarely produces symptoms in its early stages, but when it has reached an advanced stage, symptoms may include flank pain, a noticeable abdominal mass, bloody urine, fatigue, fever, night sweats, weight loss and appetite loss, hypertension, and elevated calcium levels. To learn more about renal cell carcinoma, click here.
The Study so Far
The study has enrolled a total of 28 participants. An objective response rate of 56 percent was achieved, with four percent of patients achieving a complete response. The disease control rate in the study was 96 percent. This is defined as the percentage of patients who saw a response or did not see their cancer progress. 72 percent of patients saw their tumor shrink by at least 25 percent. Adverse events affected around 60 percent of the patients, with the most common event being high blood pressure.
Positive Results
These results are quite encouraging so far and suggest that this combination could be effective. The advantage of this combination is that they are administered in different ways; tivozanib is orally administered and nivolumab is given intravenously. This allows for full strength doses of both medications to be used. Overall, the combination could result in improved quality of life and treatment outcomes for patients.
