Kidney cancer medicines
The following table lists the status of individual kidney cancer medicines in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, and whether they are available within the NHS in each individual country.
Download and print a pdf of the table here: Access to kidney cancer medicines in the UK – January 2023
Access to kidney cancer medicines in the UK – January 2023
| Trade name
Manufacturer |
Generic name | How it works | Indication | Availability |
| First-line treatments | ||||
| Keytruda
MSD |
Pembrolizumab | Immunotherapy: anti-PD1 checkpoint inhibitor infusion | Adjuvant treatment for locally advanced moderate to high risk RCC | Available on the NHS |
| Kisplyx plus Keytruda
Eisai/MSD
|
Lenvatinib in combination with pembrolizumab | Targeted therapy plus immunotherapy: VEGF tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) plus anti-PD1 checkpoint inhibitor
Infusion plus oral medication |
First-line treatment for advanced RCC | Available on the NHS in England and Wales.Restricted access under a Patient Access Scheme (PAS) in Scotland. |
| Cabometyx plus Opdivo
Ipsen/BMS
|
Cabozantinib in combination with nivolumab | Targeted therapy plus immunotherapy: VEGF tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) plus anti-PD1 checkpoint inhibitor
Oral medication plus infusion |
First-line treatment for advanced RCC | Restricted access under a Patient Access Scheme (PAS) in Scotland. Not available on the NHS in England and Wales |
| Bavencio plus Inlyta
Merck/Pfizer |
Avelumab in combination with axitinib | Immunotherapy plus targeted therapy: Anti-PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitor plus VEGF tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI)
Infusion plus oral medication |
First-line treatment for advanced/metastatic RCC | Available via the Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) for patients in England and Wales. Available on the NHS in Scotland |
| Keytruda plus Inlyta
MSD/Pfizer |
Pembrolizumab in combination with axitinib | Immunotherapy plus targeted therapy: Anti-PD1 checkpoint inhibitor plus VEGF tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI)
Infusion plus oral medication |
First-line treatment for advanced RCC | Available on the NHS in Scotland under a Patient Access Scheme (PAS). Not available on the NHS in England and Wales |
| Opdivo plus Yervoy
BMS |
Nivolumab in combination with ipilimumab | Immunotherapy: Anti-PD1 checkpoint inhibitor plus anti-CTLA4 inhibitor
Infusion |
First-line treatment for intermediate and poor risk advanced RCC | Available on the NHS |
| Sutent
Pfizer |
Sunitinib | Targeted therapy: VEGF tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI)
Oral medication |
First-line treatment for metastatic RCC | Available on the NHS |
| Votrient
Novartis |
Pazopanib | Targeted therapy: VEGF tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) Oral medication | First-line treatment for metastatic RCC | Available on the NHS |
| Cabometyx
Ipsen |
Cabozantinib | Targeted therapy: VEGF tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI)
Oral medication |
First-line treatment for locally advanced/metastatic RCC | Available on the NHS |
| Fotivda
Aveo/Eusa |
Tivozanib | Targeted therapy: VEGF tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) Oral medication | First-line treatment for metastatic RCC | Available on the NHS |
| Second-line treatments | ||||
| Kisplyx plus Afinitor
Eisai, Novartis |
Lenvatinib in combination with everolimus | Targeted therapy: VEGF tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) plus mTOR inhibitor
Oral medication |
Second-line treatment for advanced RCC | Available on the NHS |
| Inlyta
Pfizer |
Axitinib | Targeted therapy: VEGF tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) Oral medication | Second-line treatment for advanced RCC | Available on the NHS |
| Second line and beyond treatments | ||||
| Opdivo
BMS
|
Nivolumab | Immunotherapy: Anti-PD1 checkpoint inhibitor | Second/third-line treatment for advanced/metastatic RCC | Available on the NHS |
| Cabometyx
Ipsen |
Cabozantinib | Targeted therapy: VEGF tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) Oral medication | Second/third-line treatment for advanced RCC after VEGF-TKI treatment | Available on the NHS |
| Afinitor
Novartis |
Everolimus | Targeted therapy: mTOR inhibitor
Oral medication |
Second/third-line treatment for advanced RCC | Available on the NHS in England, Scotland and Wales |
| Other treatments for advanced kidney cancer | ||||
| Proleukin
Clinigen |
Interleukin 2 (IL 2) | Immunotherapy: Cytokine
Infusion |
Advanced/metastatic RCC | Available to pre-selected patients only at specialist research sites (Christie Hospital, Manchester). Not funded by the NHS |
| Torisel
Pfizer |
Temsirolimus | Targeted therapy: mTOR inhibitor
Oral medication
|
First-line treatment for advanced RCC of poor prognosis | Not routinely available on the NHS
Access via individual funding request* |
| Avastin
Roche |
Bevacizumab | Targeted therapy: VEGF tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) Infusion | First-line treatment for advanced/metastatic RCC in combination with interferon alpha | Not routinely available on the NHS
Access via individual funding request* |
| Nexavar
Bayer |
Sorafenib | Targeted therapy: VEGF tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI)
Oral medication |
First/second-line treatment for advanced/metastatic RCC | Not routinely available on the NHS
Access via individual funding request* |
| Tecentriq plus
Avastin Roche |
Atezolizumab in combination with bevacizumab | Immunotherapy plus targeted therapy: Anti-PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitor plus VEGF tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI)
Infusion |
First-line treatment for locally advanced/metastatic RCC | Appraisal suspended |
| Xgeva
Amgen |
Denosumab | Immunotherapy: RANK ligand inhibitor
Injection |
Cancer that has spread to the bones as an alternative to bisphosphonates | Available on the NHS |
Please see our clinical trials database for a complete list of all clinical trials for kidney cancer in the UK.
*Individual funding requests may be submitted via the following route:
- England and Northern Ireland: Individual Funding Request (IFR)
- Wales: Individual Patient Funding Request (IPFR)
- Scotland: Individual Patient Treatment Request (IPTR)
Please visit Access to medicines not available on the NHS for more information about individual funding requests.
The following paper describes the special case for access to interleukin 2 (IL 2), which is only available at the Christie Hospital in Manchester and not routinely available on the NHS. The paper describes the experience of the Christie Hospital with IL 2 over a 10-year period and how careful selection of patients gives excellent results: High dose IL-2
The European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) has published a leaflet describing immunotherapy-related side effects to help patients, family, friends and carers to better understand them. It contains information on the most common side effects associated with modern immunotherapies (checkpoint inhibitors) and how your oncologist and healthcare team will manage them. It also gives a few strategies that you can use to help minimise these side effects. Read the leaflet here: ESMO Patient Guide on Immunotherapy Side Effects
