Summaries of Must-Read Clinical Literature, Guidelines, and FDA Actions

Nivolumab in Advanced Renal-cell Carcinoma

Comparing it with everolimus

Publish date:: October 6, 2015

Overall survival was longer and fewer grade 3 or 4 adverse events occurred with nivolumab than with everolimus, according to a study of 821 patients with previously treated advanced renal-cell carcinoma. Researchers found:

• Median overall survival was 25.0 months with nivolumab vs 19.6 months with everolimus.

• Hazard ratio for death with nivolumab vs everolimus was 0.73.

• Objective response rate was greater with nivolumab than with everolimus, 25% vs 5%.

• Median progression-free survival was 4.6 months with nivolumab vs 4.4 months with everolimus.

• Grade 3 or 4 treatment-related adverse events occurred in 19% of patients receiving nivolumab vs. 37% in those receiving everolimus.

• Most common event with nivolumab was fatigue (2% of patients), and the most common with everolimus was anemia (8%).

Citation: Motzer RJ, Escudier B, McDermott DF, et al. Nivolumab versus everolimus in advanced renal-cell carcinoma. [Published online ahead of print September 25, 2015]. N Engl J Med. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1510665.

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