Dr. Rini on the Results of an Exploratory Analysis of the IMmotion151 Trial in mRCC

Brian I. Rini, MD, professor of medicine and inaugural chief of Clinical Trials at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, discusses the results of an exploratory analysis of the phase 3 IMmotion151 trial (NCT02420821) in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC).

Findings from the IMmotion151 trial failed to demonstrate an overall survival (OS) benefit with atezolizumab (Tecentriq) plus bevacizumab (Avastin) compared with sunitinib (Sutent) in patients with locally advanced or metastatic RCC. However, findings from an exploratory analysis of the data demonstrated that patients with tumors characterized by T-effector/proliferative, proliferative, and small nucleolar RNA transcription profiles had an improvement in OS with atezolizumab/bevacizumab vs sunitinib. Conversely, patients with tumors characterized by an angiogenic transcription profile responded to both regimens because each contained an angiogenetic inhibitor, Rini explains.

These findings could provide insight into developing clinically relevant biomarkers in mRCC, says Rini. Currently, no biomarkers are available and PD-L1 was found to be irrelevant in treatment selection for this patient population, Rini says. Prospectively validating these biomarkers will be a challenge the field will have to overcome, concludes Rini.