Cabozantinib in combination with atezolizumab for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma –first line


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Therapeutic Areas: Gastrointestinal Cancer
Year: 2021

Cabozantinib in combination with atezolizumab is in clinical development for the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (aHCC). HCC is the most common type of liver cancer and occurs mainly in patients with underlying chronic liver disease and cirrhosis. aHCC occurs when the cancer has spread to lymph nodes or other organs and is often diagnosed late in life with poor prognosis.
Oral cabozantinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) that works by blocking the activity of enzymes known as tyrosine kinases which can be found in certain receptors in cancer cells. Intravenous atezolizumab is a monoclonal antibody, a type of protein designed to recognise and attach to a protein called PD-L1, which is present on many cancer cells. Their combination has shown promising antitumour activity and tolerability in patients with solid tumours including HCC. If licensed, cabozantinib in combination with atezolizumab will provide an additional first-line treatment option for patients with advanced HCC.