Tivozanib Bests Sorafenib in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma

Brian I. Rini, M.D., from the Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute, and colleagues conducted an open-label randomized trial at 120 academic hospitals in 12 countries and enrolled patients older than 18 years with histologically or cytologically confirmed metastatic renal cell carcinoma and at least two previous systemic treatments, including at least one with a vascular endothelial growth factor receptor inhibitor. Patients were randomly assigned to either tivozanib 1.5 mg orally once daily in four-week cycles or sorafenib 400 mg orally twice daily on a continual basis (175 patients to each); patients were followed for a median of 19 months.

The researchers found that median progression-free survival was significantly longer with tivozanib than sorafenib (5.6 versus 3.9 months; hazard ratio, 0.73). Hypertension was the most common grade 3 or 4 treatment-related adverse event (20 and 14 percent of tivozanib- and sorafenib-treated patients, respectively). Serious treatment-related adverse events occurred in 11 percent of tivozanib and 10 percent of sorafenib patients. There were no reports of treatment-related deaths.

Several authors disclosed financial ties to pharmaceutical companies, including AVEO Oncology, which manufactures tivozanib and funded the study.

Last Updated: Dec 23, 2019