A phase 2 trial found that adjuvant penpulimab-kcqx (Anikora) significantly improved disease-free survival in patients with very high-risk clear cell renal cell carcinoma after surgery.
The study enrolled 174 patients after nephrectomy. Half received IV penpulimab every three weeks for up to 17 cycles, while the other half underwent standard observation.
Penpulimab reduced the risk of recurrence or death by 63% compared with surveillance (HR 0.37). Disease-free survival rates were 94.3% versus 80.5% at one year and 88.7% versus 75.4% at two years. Overall survival data are not yet mature.
The treatment was generally well tolerated. Most side effects were mild, with serious grade 3 or 4 events occurring in 6.9% of patients and no treatment-related deaths. Common side effects included rash, protein in urine, itching, and underactive thyroid.
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