Dr. Voss on Bevacizumab With CRLX101 in Advanced RCC

Martin H. Voss, MD, medical oncologist, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses a phase II study examining bevacizumab combined with CRLX101 for the treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

CRLX101 has been shown in pre-clinical studies to inhibit the HIF pathway. The majority of patients with clear cell RCC lose function of VHL and increase regulation of HIF, Voss explains. By treating these patients with antiangiogenic agents, HIF levels can be increased further. Voss predicts that a HIF antagonist can have efficacy against tumor biology, but can also overcome antiangiogenic inhibitor-mediated treatment resistance.

The ongoing phase II study is randomizing patients with two or three prior lines of VEGF-targeted therapy to receive bevacizumab plus CRLX101 to physician's choice of therapy. Prior immunotherapy is permitted. The trial design is interesting, Voss explains, because there is no similar regimen approved in the third- or fourth-line setting.