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NCT Number: NCT07188896

A Randomized Trial of Fianlimab and Cemiplimab +/- Ipilimumab or Ipilimumab Plus Nivolumab in First-line Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC)

This three-arm randomized phase 2 trial will enroll advanced clear cell RCC patients (all IMDC risk groups). Patients will be randomized 2:2:1 to either Arm A (fianlimab/ cemiplimab/ ipilimumab), Arm B (fianlimab/ cemiplimab), or Arm C (standard ipilimumab/ nivolumab), respectively.

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Key information

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Signed informed consent and HIPAA authorization for release of personal health information prior to registration. NOTE: HIPAA authorization may be included in the informed consent or obtained separately.
  • Age ≥ 18 years at the time of consent.
  • Karnofsky Performance Status ≥ 70% within 14 days prior to registration.
  • Histological or cytological evidence of renal cell carcinoma having a clear cell component
  • Advanced (not amenable to curative surgery or radiation therapy) or metastatic (AJCC Stage IV [version 9]) renal cell carcinoma.
  • Treatment naïve for systemic therapy for renal cell carcinoma including no prior neo/adjuvant systemic therapy
  • Measurable disease according to RECIST 1.1 within 28 days prior to registration.
  • Patient must have either a formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue block or unstained tumor tissue sections, obtained from preferably a metastatic lesion, preferably within 3 months or no more than 12 months with an associated pathology report. If the metastatic lesion biopsy specimen does not contain at least 20 unstained slides, supplementation with primary kidney cancer tissue is acceptable.
  • Demonstrate adequate organ function as defined in the protocol. All screening labs to be obtained within 14 days prior to registration.
  • Females of childbearing potential must have a negative serum pregnancy test within 14 days prior to registration.
  • Females of childbearing potential who are sexually active with a male able to father a child must be willing to abstain from penile-vaginal intercourse or must use an effective method(s) of contraception. Males able to father a child who are sexually active with a female of childbearing potential must be willing to abstain from penile-vaginal intercourse or use an effective method(s) of contraception.
  • Known HIV-infected subjects on effective anti-retroviral therapy with undetectable viral load and CD4 count above 350 either spontaneously or on a stable antiviral regimen within 6 months of registration are eligible for this trial. Testing is not required at screening unless mandated by local policy
  • Subjects with known chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, must have an undetectable HBV viral load (serum hepatitis B virus DNA PCR that is below the limit of detection) and be on suppressive therapy, if indicated.
  • Subjects with a history of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection must have been treated and cured (undetectable HCV RNA by PCR either spontaneously or in response to a successful prior course of anti-HCV therapy). For subjects with HCV infection who are currently on treatment, the HCV viral load must be undetectable to be eligible for this trial. Testing is not required at screening unless mandated by local policy.
  • As determined by the enrolling physician or protocol designee, ability of the subject to understand and comply with study procedures for the entire length of the study.

Exclusion criteria

  • Prior systemic therapy against renal cell carcinoma in the neo/adjuvant or metastatic setting
  • Any condition requiring ongoing ≥ 10 mg prednisone equivalent/day
  • Participants with a history of myocarditis.
  • If clinically indicated based on clinical assessment and any ECG abnormalities, optional troponin T (TnT) or troponin I (TnI) may be done as described in the protocol.
  • Ongoing or recent (within 2 years) evidence of an autoimmune disease that required systemic treatment with immunosuppressive agents. The following are allowed: vitiligo, childhood asthma that has resolved, residual hypothyroidism that requires only hormone replacement, psoriasis not requiring systemic treatment.
  • Central nervous system (CNS) metastases as described in the protocol.
  • Active infection requiring systemic therapy as described in the protocol.
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding as described in the protocol.
  • Prior or concurrent malignancy whose natural history or treatment has the potential to interfere with the safety or efficacy assessment of the investigational regimen, per treating physician discretion.
  • Subjects must not receive live attenuated vaccines within 4 weeks prior to Cycle 1 Day 1 or at any time during the study. Inactivated vaccines are allowed.
  • Known hypersensitivity to the active substances or to any of the excipients.
  • Currently participating in another study or participated in any study of an investigational agent or investigational device within 30 days of the first dose of study drug.

Treatment and study plan

Fianlimab

Drug

Fianlimab will be co-administered by IV.

Ipilimumab

Drug

Ipilimumab will be administered by IV.

Other names: Yervoy

Nivolumab

Drug

Nivolumab will be administered by IV. Maintenance nivolumab will then be administered by IV.

Other names: Opdivo

cemiplimab

Drug

Cemiplimab will co-administered by IV.

Primary outcomes

  1. Objective Response Rate (ORR)

    Time frame: 2 years

    ORR is defined as confirmed complete response (CR) + confirmed partial response (PR) and will be determined as per RECIST 1.1.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Median Progression Free Survival (PFS)

    Time frame: 5 years

    PFS is defined as the time from Day 1 of treatment to the first documented disease progression per RECIST 1.1, clinically progressive disease per investigator, or death due to any cause, whichever occurs first.

  2. 12-month Progression Free Survival (PFS)

    Time frame: 12 months

    PFS is defined as the time from Day 1 of treatment to the first documented disease progression per RECIST 1.1, clinically progressive disease per investigator, or death due to any cause, whichever occurs first.

  3. 24-month Progression Free Survival (PFS)

    Time frame: 24 months

    PFS is defined as the time from Day 1 of treatment to the first documented disease progression per RECIST 1.1, clinically progressive disease per investigator, or death due to any cause, whichever occurs first.

  4. Duration of Response (DOR)

    Time frame: 5 years

    DOR is defined as the time from first documented evidence of CR or PR per RECIST 1.1 until disease progression based on RECIST 1.1 or death due to any cause, whichever occurs first.

  5. Treatment Free Survival (TFS)

    Time frame: 5 years

    TFS will be assessed based on the area between two time to event KM curves from the time of study treatment initiation to study treatment discontinuation and from study initiation to initiation of subsequent systemic anti-cancer treatment or death. Time on or off treatment with Grade 3 or greater treatment related toxicities per CTCAE v5 will be determined as the area between study initiation and toxicity start and study initiation and Grade 3 toxicity ending.

  6. Adverse Event Rates

    Time frame: 5 years

    The frequency of subjects experiencing treatment related adverse events and SAEs graded per NCI Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (NCI CTCAE) v5.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Allison Lipps

CONTACT

[email protected]

317-634-5842 ext. 40

Brian Rini, MD

CONTACT

[email protected]

615-936-8422

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Brian Rini

Other

Collaborators

  • Regeneron Pharmaceuticals
  • Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center

Registry information

Official study title

A Randomized Phase 2 Trial of Fianlimab and Cemiplimab +/- Ipilimumab or Ipilimumab Plus Nivolumab in First-line Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC)

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2029
Study completion
2030
First posted
Sep 23, 2025
Registry last updated
Jul 2, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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