NICE recommends Bavencio + axitinib for the first-line treatment of adult patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma.

The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence ( NICE ) recommends Merck and Pfizer’s immunotherapy Bavencio (avelumab) combined with axitinib for the first-line treatment of adult patients with advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma (aRCC). •This is the first combination of an immunotherapy with a targeted antiangiogenic therapy to be recommended as a first-line treatment option for aRCC for use within the Cancer Drugs Fund. • The combination provides a new treatment option for patients from all prognostic groups, filling a huge unmet need, as the five-year survival rate at the most advanced stage is approx. 12% . Merck and Pfizer formed a strategic alliance to co-develop Bavencio, which is used in the combination therapy. Renal Cell Carcinoma is the first indication for this combination therapy in the UK and the NICE approval can potentially benefit over 3,900 UK patients. Results from the JAVELIN Renal 101 study comparing Bavencio (avelumab) plus axitinib with sunitinib demonstrated that the combination:• Significantly lowered risk of disease progression or death by 31% across all prognostic risk groups• Nearly doubled objective response rate (52.5% vs. 27.3%) .