Belzutifan plus Lenvatinib for Previously Treated Metastatic Kidney Cancer

For patients with metastatic clear-cell kidney cancer whose disease progresses after immune checkpoint inhibitor–based treatment, we have not identified an optimal next therapy. Both belzutifan (a HIF-2 alpha inhibitor) and lenvatinib (a tyrosine kinase inhibitor [TKI]) target the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR), a key target in this cancer. Now, investigators have compared belzutifan–lenvatinib with cabozantinib, a commonly used VEGFR-targeting TKI, in an industry-funded, international phase 3 trial.