Nivolumab versus everolimus in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma: Updated results with long-term follow-up of the randomized, open-label, phase 3 CheckMate 025 trial.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

CheckMate 025 has shown superior efficacy for nivolumab over everolimus in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (aRCC) along with improved safety and tolerability. This analysis assesses the long-term clinical benefits of nivolumab versus everolimus.

METHODS:

The randomized, open-label, phase 3 CheckMate 025 trial (NCT01668784) included patients with clear cell aRCC previously treated with 1 or 2 antiangiogenic regimens. Patients were randomized to nivolumab (3 mg/kg every 2 weeks) or everolimus (10 mg once a day) until progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). The secondary endpoints were the confirmed objective response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), safety, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL).

RESULTS:

Eight hundred twenty-one patients were randomized to nivolumab (n = 410) or everolimus (n = 411); 803 patients were treated (406 with nivolumab and 397 with everolimus). With a minimum follow-up of 64 months (median, 72 months), nivolumab maintained an OS benefit in comparison with everolimus (median, 25.8 months [95% CI, 22.2-29.8 months] vs 19.7 months [95% CI, 17.6-22.1 months]; hazard ratio [HR], 0.73; 95% CI, 0.62-0.85) with 5-year OS probabilities of 26% and 18%, respectively. ORR was higher with nivolumab (94 of 410 [23%] vs 17 of 411 [4%]; P < .001). PFS also favored nivolumab (HR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.72-0.99; P = .0331). The most common treatment-related adverse events of any grade were fatigue (34.7%) and pruritus (15.5%) with nivolumab and fatigue (34.5%) and stomatitis (29.5%) with everolimus. HRQOL improved from baseline with nivolumab but remained the same or deteriorated with everolimus.

CONCLUSIONS:

The superior efficacy of nivolumab over everolimus is maintained after extended follow-up with no new safety signals, and this supports the long-term benefits of nivolumab monotherapy in patients with previously treated aRCC.

LAY SUMMARY:

CheckMate 025 compared the effects of nivolumab (a novel immunotherapy) with those of everolimus (an older standard-of-care therapy) for the treatment of advanced kidney cancer in patients who had progressed on antiangiogenic therapy. After 5 years of study, nivolumab continues to be better than everolimus in extending the lives of patients, providing a long-lasting response to treatment, and improving quality of life with a manageable safety profile. The results demonstrate that the clinical benefits of nivolumab versus everolimus in previously treated patients with advanced kidney cancer continue in the long term.

• Authors: Robert J Motzer, Bernard Escudier, Saby George, Hans J Hammers, Sandhya Srinivas, Scott S Tykodi, Jeffrey A Sosman, Elizabeth R Plimack, Giuseppe Procopio, David F McDermott, Daniel Castellano, Toni K Choueiri, Frede Donskov, Howard Gurney, Stéphane Oudard, Martin Richardet, Katriina Peltola, Ajjai S Alva, Michael Carducci, John Wagstaff, Christine Chevreau, Satoshi Fukasawa, Yoshihiko Tomita, Thomas C Gauler, Christian K Kollmannsberger, Fabio A Schutz, James Larkin, David Cella, M Brent McHenry, Shruti Shally Saggi, Nizar M Tannir
• Journal: Cancer (Cancer) Vol. 126 Issue 18 Pg. 4156-4167 (09 15 2020) ISSN: 1097-0142 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 32673417 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Phase III, Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: © 2020 American Cancer Society.

Chemical References

• Nivolumab
• Everolimus

Topics

• Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Carcinoma, Renal Cell (drug therapy, pathology)
• Everolimus (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Female
• Follow-Up Studies
• Humans
• Kidney Neoplasms (drug therapy, pathology)
• Male
• Nivolumab (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Treatment Outcome