Therapeutics and Clinical Risk Management (Jul 2022)
A Profile of Avelumab Plus Axitinib in the Treatment of Renal Cell Carcinoma
Abstract
Manuela Tiako Meyo,1,2 Jeanne Chen,1,2 Francois Goldwasser,1,2 Laure Hirsch,1,2 Olivier Huillard1,2 1Department of Medical Oncology, Institut du Cancer Paris CARPEM, AP-HP, APHP.Centre, Hôpital Cochin, Paris, France; 2Immunomodulatory Therapies Multidisciplinary Study Group (CERTIM), AP-HP, APHP.Centre, Hôpital Cochin, Paris, FranceCorrespondence: Olivier Huillard, Department of Medical Oncology, Institut du Cancer Paris CARPEM, AP-HP, APHP.Centre, Hôpital Cochin, 123 Bd de Port Royal, Paris, 75014, France, Tel +33 1 58 41 14 39, Fax +33 1 58 41 14 34, Email [email protected]: Until recently, the approved first-line treatment for metastatic RCC (mRCC) consisted of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) targeting the vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFR) monotherapy. The landscape of first-line treatment has been transformed in the last few years with the advent of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) or VEGFR TKI plus ICI combinations. This article focuses on the profile of one of these ICI plus VEGFR TKI combination, avelumab plus axitinib. We detail the characteristics of each drug separately, and then we explore the rationale for their association, its efficacy and the resulting toxicity. Finally, we examine the factors associated with avelumab plus axitinib outcomes, and their impact on therapeutic strategy.Keywords: renal cell carcinoma, vascular endothelial growth factor, immune checkpoint inhibitor, axitinib, avelumab, pharmacology