BACKGROUND The efficacy and safety of nivolumab plus cabozantinib as compared with those of sunitinib in the treatment of previously untreated advanced renal-cell carcinoma are not known. METHODS In this phase 3, randomized, open-label trial, we randomly assigned adults with previously untreated clear-cell, advanced renal-cell carcinoma to receive either nivolumab (240 mg every 2 weeks) plus cabozantinib (40 mg once daily) or sunitinib (50 mg once daily for 4 weeks of each 6-week cycle). The primary end point was progression-free survival, as determined by blinded independent central review. Secondary end points included overall survival, objective response as determined by independent review, and safety. Health-related quality of life was an exploratory end point. RESULTS Overall, 651 patients were assigned to receive nivolumab plus cabozantinib (323 patients) or sunitinib (328 patients). At a median follow-up of 18.1 months for overall survival, the median progression-free survival was 16.6 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 12.5 to 24.9) with nivolumab plus cabozantinib and 8.3 months (95% CI, 7.0 to 9.7) with sunitinib (hazard ratio for disease progression or death, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.41 to 0.64; P<0.001). The probability of overall survival at 12 months was 85.7% (95% CI, 81.3 to 89.1) with nivolumab plus cabozantinib and 75.6% (95% CI, 70.5 to 80.0) with sunitinib (hazard ratio for death, 0.60; 98.89% CI, 0.40 to 0.89; P = 0.001). An objective response occurred in 55.7% of the patients receiving nivolumab plus cabozantinib and in 27.1% of those receiving sunitinib (P<0.001). Efficacy benefits with nivolumab plus cabozantinib were consistent across subgroups. Adverse events of any cause of grade 3 or higher occurred in 75.3% of the 320 patients receiving nivolumab plus cabozantinib and in 70.6% of the 320 patients receiving sunitinib. Overall, 19.7% of the patients in the combination group discontinued at least one of the trial drugs owing to adverse events, and 5.6% discontinued both. Patients reported better health-related quality of life with nivolumab plus cabozantinib than with sunitinib. CONCLUSIONS Nivolumab plus cabozantinib had significant benefits over sunitinib with respect to progression-free survival, overall survival, and likelihood of response in patients with previously untreated advanced renal-cell carcinoma. (Funded by Bristol Myers Squibb and others; CheckMate 9ER ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03141177.).

Results from the phase 3 CheckMate 9ER trial evaluating the checkpoint inhibitor (CPI) nivolumab (N) plus the tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) cabozantinib (C) v sunitinib (S) for first-line (1L) treatment of advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma (aRCC) are reported. As monotherapies, N and C have demonstrated efficacy and a manageable safety profile in aRCC. C has immunomodulatory properties that may counteract tumor-induced immunosuppression, providing a rationale for combining N+C. Patients (pts) were randomized 1:1 (stratified by IMDC risk score, tumor PD-L1 expression, region) to N 240 mg flat dose IV Q2W + C 40 mg PO QD v S 50 mg PO for 4 wk (6-wk cycles) until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity (max N treatment, 2 y). Primary endpoint: progression-free survival (PFS; a ¼ 0.05 final) by blinded independent central review (BICR). Secondary endpoints (hierarchical testing): overall survival (OS; a ¼ 0.011 first interim analysis), objective response rate (ORR; a ¼ 0.05 final) by BICR, and safety. A total of 651 pts (22.6% favorable risk, 57.6% intermediate risk, 19.7% poor risk; 24.9% PD-L1 _1%) were randomized to N+C (n ¼ 323) v S (n ¼ 328). With 18.1 mo median (10.6 mo minimum) study follow-up, all 3 efficacy endpoints were met. N+C significantly improved PFS (HR 0.51 [95% CI 0.41e0.64], P < 0.0001; median, 16.6 v 8.3 mo) and OS (HR 0.60 [98.89% CI 0.40e0.89]; P ¼ 0.0010; medians not reached) v S, and results were consistent across prespecified IMDC risk and PD-L1 subgroups. ORR (95% CI) was significantly higher with N+C v S (55.7% [50.1e61.2] v 27.1% [22.4e32.3]; P < 0.0001), and 8.0% v 4.6% of pts achieved complete response. Median duration of response was 20.2 v 11.5 mo for N+C v S. Any-grade TRAEs occurred in 96.6% v 93.1% of pts treated with N+C v S (60.6% v 50.9% grade _3). One treatment-related death occurred with N+C v 2 with S. TRAEs led to discontinuation of S in 8.8%, N or C in 15.3%, N+C in 3.1%, N only in 5.6%, and C only in 6.6% of pts. N+C demonstrated superior PFS, OS, and ORR v S in 1L aRCC. The safety profile of this combination was manageable and consistent with the known singleagent AE profiles of N and C. These results support N+C as a new CPI+TKI option for aRCC pts.