Subcutaneous nivolumab new standard of care for kidney cancer
It is not often that clinical trials assess the treatment convenience of a therapy by testing the advantages of one particular mode of administration over another for patients with cancer. At the recent ASCO Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, results of a randomized, open-label, phase III trial (CheckMate 67T) reported that subcutaneous nivolumab was non-inferior to intravenous nivolumab on the basis of two co-primary pharmacokinetic endpoints and overall response rate. Importantly, the average time to administer nivolumab subcutaneously is 5 minutes, compared with 30 minutes for intravenous therapy. Dr Saby George, lead author of the study notes stated, “subcutaneous nivolumab is a new standard for clear-cell renal cell carcinoma that will decrease treatment burden and improve health-care efficacy.” Access to care could be improved with this mode of treatment as it can be delivered in a clinic rather than an infusion centre. This finding provides welcome news to patients and simultaneously maximises efficiencies within health-care systems. “By freeing up infusion chairs, more patients can get access to the medicines they need more quickly,” Dr George highlights.
READ THE ARTICLE – https://ascopost.com/news/january-2024/subcutaneous-vs-intravenous-nivolumab-in-advanced-clear-cell-rcc/?utm_source=pushly