Dr. Fleming on the KEYNOTE-426 Trial in Metastatic RCC

Mark T. Fleming, MD, medical director, the US Oncology’s Genitourinary Research Committee, Virginia Oncology Associates, discusses the phase 3 KEYNOTE-426 trial (NCT02853331) in advanced or metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

KEYNOTE-426 evaluated the efficacy and safety of pembrolizumab (Keytruda) plus axitinib (Inlyta) vs sunitinib (Sutent) monotherapy in the first-line treatment for patients with advanced or metastatic RCC.

The trial served as another example of combining a TKI with immunotherapy in this patient population, Fleming says. Data from this trial demonstrated an impressive overall response rate, and the combination of pembrolizumab plus axitinib provides another therapy option for patients, Fleming explains.

In April 2019, the FDA approved pembrolizumab plus axitinib for the frontline treatment of advanced RCC, making it one of the first TKI/immunotherapy combinations approved in the RCC space. Although there are now other options, pembrolizumab plus axitinib remains a preferable option for patients, Fleming concludes.