Dr David McDermott speaks to ecancer about the phase 1/2 LITESPARK-024 study.

This study evaluated the combination of belzutifan, a hypoxia-inducible factor 2 alpha inhibitor, and palbociclib, a cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 inhibitor, in patients with advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma who had progressed after multiple prior therapies.

The combination demonstrated a manageable safety profile, although higher-grade side effects, particularly anaemia, were common.

Clinical activity was modest, with response rates ranging from 0 to 21 percent and disease control rates up to approximately 74 percent across dose levels. Median progression-free survival ranged from about 5 to 9 months.

Overall, the combination did not show clear improvement over historical results with belzutifan alone in this heavily pretreated population.

Dr McDermott says that these findings suggest that while the regimen is feasible, further research is needed to better define its role and identify patients most likely to benefit.