Axitinib: a review in advanced renal cell carcinoma

Axitinib (Inlyta(®)) is a potent, selective inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1, -2 and -3. This article reviews the clinical efficacy and tolerability of axitinib in patients with previously-treated advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC), as well as summarizing its pharmacological properties. Axitinib was effective in the second-line treatment of advanced RCC, according to the results of the pivotal, phase III AXIS trial. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was significantly prolonged with axitinib versus sorafenib (primary endpoint; independent review committee assessment); this PFS benefit was seen in patients who had received prior treatment with cytokines or sunitinib. The objective response rate was also significantly higher with axitinib than with sorafenib, with no significant between-group difference in median overall survival. Axitinib had a manageable tolerability profile in the AXIS trial, with the most commonly reported treatment-related adverse events including diarrhoea, hypertension, fatigue, decreased appetite, nausea, dysphonia, hand-foot syndrome and hypothyroidism. In conclusion, axitinib is an important option in previously-treated patients with advanced RCC.