Dr. Levy on Future Research Directions for Lenvatinib in HCC

Anna T. Levy, DO, an assistant professor at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, discuses future research directions for lenvatinib (Lenvima) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Lenvatinib is an active agent, having demonstrated superior progression-free survival compared with sorafenib (Nexavar) in the phase 3 REFLECT trial (NCT01761266), Levy says. Additionally, the agent has been shown to result in better patient-reported quality-of-life scores and overall high response rates, Levy adds.

However, questions regarding the efficacy of lenvatinib in patients with Child-Pugh B liver cirrhosis still need to be addressed, Levy explains. As with most TKIs, more research is needed to further examine the safety and tolerability of lenvatinib in this subgroup, Levy concludes.