Dr. McGregor Discusses Ongoing Trials in Non-Clear Cell RCC

Bradley McGregor, MD, senior physician, Dana-Farber Cancer Center, clinical director, Lank Center for Genitourinary Oncology, Instructor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, discusses ongoing trials in patients with non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC). 

Recent advances have been made with therapeutic approaches in non-clear cell RCC, including further understanding the role of atezolizumab (Tecentriq) in combination with bevacizumab (Avastin) in variant histology RCC. This phase 2 study(NCT02724878) demonstrated modest response rates with the combination, McGregor explains. Moreover, the role of cabozantinib (Cabometyx) plus nivolumab (Opdivo) has been examined in an ongoing phase 2 trial (NCT03635892) in the same patient population. Although patients with chromophobe histology had encouraging responses with the doublet, efficacy was most notable in patients with translocation, unclassified, or papillary RCC, with response rates close to 50%, McGregor says. 

Given the ongoing phase 3 COSMIC-313 trial (NCT03937219), which is evaluating cabozantinib, nivolumab, and ipilimumab (Yervoy) vs nivolumab and ipilimumab in clear cell RCC, an additional investigation trial was opened to evaluate the triplet combination in patients with variant histology RCC, McGregor continues. This will be an important trial for these patient populations that represent an unmet need in RCC, McGregor adds. Patients are allowed to have received 1 prior line of therapy but cannot have previously received cabozantinib or immunotherapy, McGregor concludes.