Dr. Harding on the Goal of the IMbrave150 trial in HCC

James J. Harding, MD, regional director of Early Drug Development at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses the goal of the phase III IMbrave150 trial in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

In the trial, patients with locally advanced or metastatic HCC who did not receive prior systemic therapy were randomized 2:1 to receive treatment with atezolizumab (Tecentriq) in combination with bevacizumab (Avastin) or sorafenib (Nexavar). The primary objective of the trial was to assess overall survival benefit with the combination.

The study was designed to prove that the intravenous combination was superior to sorafenib, says Harding, and the trial succeeded in meeting its primary endpoint. Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab led to a 42% reduction in the risk of death versus sorafenib (HR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.42-0.79; P = .0006). The improvement in the hazard ratio was very dramatic and statistically significant, concludes Harding.