Results from an early phase Ib clinical trial of avelumab plus axitinib combination for the first-line treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) were presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago yesterday.

Fifty-five people with advanced RCC who had not received any previous treatment (treatment-naïve patients) were recruited into this study to determine the clinical activity and safety of avelumab plus axitinib combination. Overall response rate (the proportion of patients with tumour shrinkage of a predefined amount and for a minimum period of time) was 54.5%, including 2 complete responses and 28 partial responses.

However, 52 patients had an axitinib-related adverse event, including fatigue, diarrhoea, hypertension, and a hoarse voice, and 51 patients reported avelumab-related adverse events, including frequent reports of diarrhoea and fatigue.

These results demonstrate promising efficacy and manageable side effects of the avelumab plus axitinib combination for the first-line treatment of advanced kidney cancer.

Read more here and read the ASCO abstract here