United States-based Pfizer and United States-based Merck's Bavencio (avelumab) plus Inlyta (axitinib) has improved median progression-free survival in a renal carcinoma study, it was reported yesterday.

The companies have reported that the combination of Bavencia and Inlyta have significantly increased median progression-free survival by more than five months compared against Sutent as a first-line treatment for patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in the pivotal Javelin Renal 101 trial. The results are from an interim analysis of the trial.

The phase III Javelin Renal 101 study was designed to evaluate the combination of Bavencio plus Inlyta compared with Sutent in 886 patients with earlier untreated advanced RCC. Bavencio plus Inlyta decreased the risk of disease progression or death by 39% in patients with PD-L1-positive tumours, which is a primary endpoint of the study.