Lenvatinib launched for kidney cancer

Kisplyx (lenvatinib) is licensed in combination with everolimus for the treatment of adults with advanced renal cell carcinoma following one prior vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-targeted therapy.

Lenvatinib is a potent inhibitor of multiple tyrosine kinases: VEGF receptors 1, 2 and 3, platelet-derived growth factor and fibroblast growth factor receptors, KIT and RET. It is already available as Lenvima to treat thyroid cancer.

Lenvatinib in combination with everolimus was shown to significantly improve progression-free survival compared with everolimus monotherapy in a randomised phase II trial in patients with advanced or metastatic renal cell carcinoma that had progressed despite treatment with a VEGF-targeted therapy (n=153).

Median progression-free survival was 14.6 months (95% CI 5.9—20.1) in the lenvatinib plus everolimus group compared with 5.5 months (95% CI 3.5—7.1) in the everolimus monotherapy group (hazard ratio 0.40, 95% CI 0.24—0.68; p=0.0005).

The most common adverse events in the combination group were diarrhoea and fatigue/asthenia.