Dr. McKay on Tivozanib Plus Nivolumab in Advanced RCC

Rana R. McKay, MD, associate professor, medicine, Department of Medicine, UC San Diego School of Medicine, discusses the rationale for combining tivozanib (Fotivda) with nivolumab (Opdivo) in heavily pretreated patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

The phase 3 TiNivo-2 trial (NCT04987203) is investigating the role of immunotherapy continuation in patients with advanced RCC who have progressed on an immune checkpoint inhibitor through the layering of a TKI onto immunotherapy vs discontinuing immunotherapy and switching to a TKI alone, McKay says.

In the phase 3 TIVO-3 trial (NCT02627963), tivozanib demonstrated activity post immunotherapy in the third- and fourth-line settings, eliciting a progression-free survival of 5.6 months vs 3.9 months with sorafenib (Nexavar), McKay explains. The role of dual therapy in the post-immunotherapy setting in RCC is still to be determined, although data from TIVO-3 and other studies support the rationale of combining immunotherapy with a VEGF TKI, McKay concludes.