Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34239811›Full record

ArticleLiver cancer2021

Avelumab in Combination with Axitinib as First-Line Treatment in Patients with Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Results from the Phase 1b VEGF Liver 100 Trial.

Masatoshi Kudo, Kenta Motomura, Yoshiyuki Wada, Yoshitaka Inaba, Yasunari Sakamoto, Masayuki Kurosaki, Yoshiko Umeyama, Yoichi Kamei, Junichiro Yoshimitsu, Yosuke Fujii and 3 more

Registry-linked trialOpen access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Liver cancer, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT03289533 (AN OPEN LABEL, SINGLE ARM PHASE 1B STUDY OF AVELUMAB PLUS AXITINIB AS FIRST LINE TREATMENT IN PATIENTS WITH ADVANCED HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA), which is not on this map. Cited by 85 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
85citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
8.3field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT03289533 phase1completednot on this map

An open label, single arm phase 1b study of avelumab plus axitinib as first line treatment in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma

TypeinterventionalSponsorPfizerRan2017 to 2019Enrolled22ConditionsCarcinoma, HepatocellularArmsAvelumab (MSB0010718C), Axitinib (AG-013736)
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

85 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 99 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  10. IL1RAJournal of clinical and translational hepatology · 2025
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  14. Molecular biology of the novel anticancer medications: a focus on kinases inhibitors, biologics and CAR T-cell therapy.Inflammation research : official journal of the European Histamine Research Society ... [et al.] · 2025
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  20. Observational

25 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors at 9 institutions in 2 countries.

Masatoshi KudoFaculty of Medicine, Kindai University, Osaka, Japan.
Kenta MotomuraAso Iizuka Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan.
Yoshiyuki WadaKyushu Medical Center, Fukuoka, Japan.
Yoshitaka InabaAichi Cancer Center Hospital, Nagoya, Japan.
Yasunari SakamotoNational Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
Masayuki KurosakiMusashino Red Cross Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
Yoshiko UmeyamaPfizer R&D Japan, Tokyo, Japan.
Yoichi KameiPfizer R&D Japan, Tokyo, Japan.
Junichiro YoshimitsuPfizer R&D Japan, Tokyo, Japan.
Yosuke FujiiPfizer R&D Japan, Tokyo, Japan.
Mana AizawaPfizer R&D Japan, Tokyo, Japan.
Paul B RobbinsPfizer, San Diego, California, USA.
Junji FuruseFaculty of Medicine, Kyorin University, Tokyo, Japan.
Pfizer (Japan) · JPAichi Cancer Center · JPAso Iizuka Hospital · JPKindai University · JPKyorin University · JPMusashino Red Cross Hospital · JPNational Kyushu Medical Center · JPPfizer (United States) · USTokyo National Hospital · JP

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionCombining an immune checkpoint inhibitor with a targeted antiangiogenic agent may leverage complementary mechanisms of action for the treatment of advanced/metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (aHCC). Avelumab is a human anti-PD-L1 IgG1 antibody with clinical activity in various tumor types; axitinib is a selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors 1, 2, and 3. We report the final analysis from VEGF Liver 100 (NCT03289533), a phase 1b study evaluating safety and efficacy of avelumab plus axitinib in treatment-naive patients with aHCC.

methodsEligible patients had confirmed aHCC, no prior systemic therapy, ≥1 measurable lesion, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status ≤1, and Child-Pugh class A disease. Patients received avelumab 10 mg/kg intravenously every 2 weeks plus axitinib 5 mg orally twice daily until progression, unacceptable toxicity, or withdrawal. Endpoints included safety and investigator-assessed objective response per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) 1.1 and modified RECIST (mRECIST) for HCC.

resultsTwenty-two Japanese patients were enrolled and treated with avelumab plus axitinib. The minimum follow-up was 18 months as of October 25, 2019 (data cutoff). Grade 3 treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) occurred in 16 patients (72.7%); the most common (≥3 patients) were hypertension (

conclusionTreatment with avelumab plus axitinib was associated with a manageable toxicity profile and showed antitumor activity in patients with aHCC.

Indexed as

AvelumabAxitinibHepatocellular carcinomaImmune checkpoint inhibitorVascular endothelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor

Identifiers

PMID34239811
PMCPMC8237783
OpenAlexW3145648199

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.