Axitinib/Axitinib usage and dosage

Axitinib/Axitinib is a targeted therapy drug that can be used as first-line treatment in combination with the immune checkpoint inhibitors avelumab or pembrolizumab to provide a more effective treatment option for patients with advanced kidney cancer. When patients fail to achieve good response after receiving other systemic treatments, axitinib can be used as a single-agent regimen for second-line treatment. The reasonable selection of specific usage and dosage is crucial to the patient's efficacy and safety.

1. First-line treatment:

When used in combination with avelumab, the recommended starting dose of axitinib is 5 mg twice daily 12 hours apart. At the same time, patients need to receive 800 mg of avelumab intravenously every two weeks until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity occurs. In this case, doctors can gradually increase the dose of axitinib based on tolerance.

For use in combination with pembrolizumab, the initial dose of axitinib is also 5 mg twice daily, with pembrolizumab 200 mg every three weeks or 400 mg every six weeks as an intravenous infusion until therapeutic effects or side effects change.

2. Second-line treatment: When used as a single agent, the recommended starting oral dose of axitinib is 5 mg twice daily. This medication can be taken with or without food and should be swallowed whole with a full glass of water. If vomiting or missing a dose occurs during the regular medication time, the next prescribed dose should be taken on time without having to make up for the missed dose.

3. Dose adjustment and monitoring: During the treatment process, the patient's individual safety and tolerance will determine the dose adjustment strategy. If the patient tolerates axitinib for two consecutive weeks without experiencing grade 2 or above adverse reactions, has normal blood pressure and is not taking antihypertensive drugs, a dose increase may be considered. This flexible approach to medication management is designed to optimize treatment effectiveness based on the patient's actual condition and reduce the risk of side effects.

Reference materials:https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=84137882-e000-47da-bd5b-fa76ab3c76f9##