Further data from the TIVO-3 clinical trial comparing tivozanib with sorafenib in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC), which is unresponsive to treatment (refractory), has shown that at 32.5 months, 20 patients on tivozanib remain progression free, versus 2 patients on sorafenib. This is despite there being no positive effect on overall survival (median overall survival was 16.4 months for tivozanib and 19.7 months for sorafenib).

“The data from TIVO-3 are very compelling, particularly given the fact that patients in this study were heavily pretreated and many were exposed to prior checkpoint inhibitors,” said Dr Sumanta Pal from City of Hope Hospital in the US.

“The data really beg for future studies that explore combinations of tivozanib with immunotherapy. There has already been some data looking at the combination of tivozanib with nivolumab—this would be of particular interest. For those who have not used tivozanib, what sets it apart from other tyrosine kinase inhibitors is the exceptional safety profile. As one of the highest enrollers on the TIVO-3 trial, I have had patients who have been able to sustain dosing on tivozanib for extended periods without substantial toxicity.”

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