Lori Wood, MD
LORI WOOD, MD, of Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada was the formal discussant for the KEYNOTE 426 study presented at the 2019 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium.1,2 Dr. Wood called the KEYNOTE 426 phase III trial “practice-changing,” and added, “The majority of patients with advanced clear-cell renal cell carcinoma will be eligible to receive combination therapy with a checkpoint inhibitor/axitinb.” She cautioned that issues remain concerning the cost of therapy and whether the combination could be safely delivered to all patients. Dr. Wood also noted that the checkpoint inhibitor combination therapy requires more time, many more clinic visits, and more infusions compared with sunitinib monotherapy.
Sumanta Pal, MD, ASCO Expert and Co-Director of the Kidney Cancer Program at the City of Hope in Duarte, California, called attention to the JAVELIN 101 study of avelumab/axitinib first presented at the 2018 European Society for Medical Oncology Congress in Munich.3 The study was also presented at the Genitourinary Cancers Symposium. This earlier combination of the checkpoint inhibitor avelumab plus axitinib was reported to be superior to sunitinib in this population of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma. Dr. Pal spoke at a press briefing during the 2019 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium. ■
DISCLOSURE: Dr. Wood has received institutional research funding from Bristol-Myers Squibb, Pfizer, Roche Canada, Exelixis, Merck, AstraZeneca, and Novartis; and an immediate family member has received research funding from Aragon Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Pal is a consultant for Pfizer, Novartis, Aveo, Myriad, Genentech Exelixis, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Astellas Pharma, Ipsen, and Eisai.
REFERENCES
1. Powles T, Plimack ER, Stus V, et al: Pembroliumab plus axitinib vs sunitinib as first-line therapy for advanced renal cell carcinoma: Phase III KEYNOTE-426 study. 2019 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium. Abstract 543. Presented February 16, 2019.
2. Rini B, Plimack E, Stus V, et al: Pembrolizumab plus axitinib vs sunitinib for advanced renal cell carcinoma. N Engl J Med 380:1116-1127, 2019.
3. Motzer RJ, Penkov K, Haanen JBAG, et al: JAVELIN Renal 101: A randomized, phase III Study of avelumab plus axitinib vs sunitinib as first-line treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma. ESMO 2018 Congress. Abstract LBA6_PR. Presented October 21, 2018.
