The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended tivozanib (Fotivda) as a treatment option for advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC).
Tivozanib is recommended for the treatment of adults with advanced RCC who have not received any treatment previously. The recommended dose for tivozanib is 1340 μg orally once-daily for 21 days, followed by a 7-day rest period constituting a 4-week treatment cycle. Treatment is to be continued until the disease progresses or undesirable toxicity is observed.
Current treatment options for untreated advanced RCC include sunitinib or pazopanib. Evidence shows that the efficacy of tivozanib in extending OS and PFS is not more than sunitinib or pazopanib, and the best comparable to both drugs. Also, there is no clear evidence suggesting better tolerance of adverse effects of tivozanib compared with sunitinib or pazopanib. However, tivozanib is more cost-effective than sunitinib or pazopanib. The higher cost savings could possibly compensate for the lower effectiveness of tivozanib when making a treatment decision for untreated advanced RCC patients.
The drug is to be used only when it is discounted by the company in agreement with the patient access scheme. The recommendations should not affect patients whose treatment with the drug was started before publication of the guidance.
