The phase I dose-escalation phase of the TiNivo trial, which is assessing a combination of tivozanib and nivolumab as a treatment for advanced kidney cancer, has completed and the trial has entered the phase II expansion stage. This stage of the trial will evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the combination against advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

Tivozanib is a vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) inhibitor, which regulates the growth of blood vessel in the tumour. Nivolumab is an immune checkpoint inhibitor, which boosts the immune system to attack the cancer cells.

“VEGF-PD-1 combinations have yielded promising tumour response outcomes in renal cell cancer, yet the data presented to date point to challenging or prohibitive toxicity,” Michael Bailey, president and chief executive officer of AVEO, the manufacturer of tivozanib, said in a press release. “We believe tivozanib offers a unique opportunity to potentially overcome this barrier.”

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