What Will Be the Next Frontline Therapy for HCC?

Richard S. Finn, MD, professor of Medicine at the Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA in the Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, discusses the next potential regimen to emerge for the frontline treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

In early 2023, Finn presented findings from the SKYSCRAPER-14/IMbrave152 study of the combination of atezolizumb (Tecenriq) plus bevacizumab (Avastin; atezo/bev) vs atezo/bev with tiragolumab (RG6058, MTIG7192A), in which demonstrated the addition of tiragolumab demonstrated improvement in responses.

TRANSCRIPT:

0:07 | The landscape has changed very rapidly for frontline HCC. What the next frontline HCC regimen will be is not known yet. Interesting data is what I presented at ASCO this year atezo/bev in combination with tiragolumab, and anti-TIGIT antibody.

0:23 | The data showed an objective response rate in this phase 1 study of over 40% This regimen is now going into phase 3, the SKYSCRAPER-14/IMbrave152 study. This study will look at atezo/bev vs atezo/bev and tiragolumab. If positive, which will take some time to accrue and read out, this might become a new standard of care. Right now, there are no other frontline phase 3 studies going up against atezo/bev.

0:58 | Another study we're waiting to see data on in earlier-stage liver cancer is Imbrave050 [NCT04102098]. This study demonstrated that the use of atezo/bev after curative resection for liver cancer, decreased recurrence-free survival. We're waiting for regulatory approval for that regimen for these patients at high-risk disease after surgery.

1:27 | But still, there are several other adjuvant studies that we're waiting to see results from, including studies looking at durvalumab and bevacizumab in this population, as well as studies with nivolumab and pembrolizumab. Also, there are important studies in intermediate-stage disease where we have several phase 3 studies waiting to read out about the combination of immunotherapy regimens with chemoembolization. I should also mention the frontline study that we're waiting to read out that has completed enrollment and is the study of ipi/nivo vs sorafenib and /or lenvatinib, and we're waiting for those results.