Tivozanib for treating advanced renal cell carcinoma

1.1 Tivozanib is recommended as an option for treating advanced renal cell carcinoma in adults, only if:

1.2 This recommendation is not intended to affect treatment with tivozanib that was started in the NHS before this guidance was published. People having treatment outside this recommendation may continue without change to the funding arrangements in place for them before this guidance was published, until they and their NHS clinician consider it appropriate to stop.

Why the committee made this recommendation

Current treatment in the NHS for untreated advanced renal cell carcinoma is usually sunitinib or pazopanib. There is no evidence to suggest that tivozanib is more effective than pazopanib and sunitinib in extending overall and progression-free survival. At best, tivozanib may have a similar effect to sunitinib or pazopanib. Also, the evidence does not clearly show that people tolerate the adverse effects of tivozanib better than those of sunitinib or pazopanib.

The cost of treating renal cell carcinoma with tivozanib is likely to be lower than the cost of treating it with sunitinib or pazopanib, but tivozanib is also likely to be less effective. The estimated cost savings are high enough to compensate for the estimated lower effectiveness. Also, there is a need to be able to offer tivozanib to people who do not tolerate existing treatments. Therefore, tivozanib is recommended as an option for treating advanced renal cell carcinoma in adults who have had no previous treatment.