Testing a Triple Threat Drug Combo Against Kidney Cancer
A clinical study is exploring whether combining three targeted and immune-based therapies can effectively treat advanced untreated clear cell renal cell carcinoma, the most common form of kidney cancer.
A team of researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center tested whether a drug called zanzalintinib works better when paired with two immune-boosting medicines: nivolumab and relatlimab. Some patients in the study received zanzalintinib and nivolumab, while others got all three drugs. Their findings were recently presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting.
Why combine these medicines? Each one works in a different way.
- Zanzalintinib works by cutting off the signals cancer cells need to grow.
- Nivolumab helps the immune system recognize and attack cancer cells.
- Relatlimab helps the immune system fight cancer by removing a “brake” that slows down immune cells.
Jad Chahoud, MD
“We already have early results from the Stellar 001 study, which showed that zanzalintinib alone was safe and helped shrink tumors, even in patients who had tried many other treatments before,” said Jad Chahoud, MD, an oncologist in the Genitourinary Oncology Department at Moffitt. “Now, we’re looking at combining two checkpoint inhibitors: nivolumab and relatlimab. These drugs work together to reactivate T cells, a key part of the immune system, to attack the cancer more effectively.”
Results showed that patients who received the zanzalintinib and nivolumab combination had an overall response rate of 63% and went 18.5 months without seeing any progression in their disease. Patients who were treated with all three drugs had an overall response rate of 40% and remained progression-free for 13 months.
So, why is more not necessarily better?
“We were having to stop therapy on the triplet arm a bit earlier because of some side effects. The patients were getting less drug, and if you don't get the drug into your patient, you're not going to have responses,” Chahoud said.
Overall, the results are encouraging, and a phase 3 study of the combination of zanzalintinib and nivolumab in patients with advanced or metastatic non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma is ongoing.
