NICE Recommends Kisplyx and Keytruda Treatment Combination for Untreated Advanced RCC

The UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended Eisai’s Kisplyx (lenvatinib) combined with Merck’s Keytruda (pembrolizumab) for National Health Service (NHS) use as a treatment option for adult patients with untreated advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

The recommendation is specifically for patients designated as having an “intermediate or poor risk,” prognosis, but only when nivolumab with ipilimumab would otherwise be offered.

In clinical studies, the combination treatment showed significant improvement in progression-free survival. But the agency said the information is uncertain for people with a favorable-risk prognosis.

The recommended dosage of the treatment combination is two 10 mg capsules of Kisplyx once daily with either 200 mg every three weeks or 400 mg every six weeks of Keytruda as an intravenous infusion over 30 minutes.

The negotiated prices of both drugs for NHS use were not disclosed.