Although we will not be issuing a
formal press release, we wanted to let you know that 1,100 people
with advanced kidney cancer could benefit after NICE recommended
a new combination treatment today (Thursday, 7
March).
Cabozantinib (also known as Cabometyx
and made by Ipsen) with nivolumab (also known as Opdivo and made
by Bristol Myers Squibb) is recommended in final draft guidance
as a first-line treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma in
adults.
Renal cell carcinoma is the most
common type of kidney cancer and the advanced diseasemeans the
cancer has spread beyond the lymph nodes to other areas of the
body. Treatments aim to control the cancer and relieve symptoms,
which can include unexplained weight loss, tiredness, and
fever.
Cabozantinib, which is given as
tablets taken daily, blocks proteins called receptor tyrosine
kinases (RTKs), which are involved in the growth of cells and the
blood vessels that supply them. These proteins can be present in
high amounts in cancer cells, and by blocking them themedicine
can slow down tumour growth and help to cut off the blood supply
the cancer needs.
Nivolumab targets a protein on immune
system cells that normally stops them from attacking other cells
in the body. By blocking protein, the medicine boosts the immune
response against kidney cancer cells.
Clinical trial evidence suggests
people having cabozantinib plus nivolumab live longer and have
longer before their cancer gets worse than people having other
standard treatments such assunitinib, pazopanib or
tivozanib.
A randomised controlled trial
comparing cabozantinib plus nivolumab with sunitinib found that
people taking cabozantinib plus nivolumab had a median overall
survival of 49.5 months compared with 35.5 months for sunitinib.
It also found that progression-free survival was 16.6 months
compared with 8.4 months for
sunitinib.
NICE also used UK real-world evidence
to inform the underlying risk and safety associated with having
renal cell carcinoma and having
treatment.
You can read the full final draft
guidance for cabozantinib with nivolumab for untreated advanced
renal cell carcinoma on the NICE
website.
