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Therapies Approved by Health Canada for Kidney Cancer

This is a brief overview of drug treatments currently approved for treating advanced or metastatic kidney cancer in Canada.

 

AXITINIB (INLYTA®)
In 2012, Health Canada approved axitinib (Inlyta®) for patients with clear cell kidney cancer, when their cancer no longer responds to treatment with cytokine or the target therapy sunitinib (Sutent®).

 

CABOZANTINIB (CABOMETYX®)
Cabozantinib (Cabometyx®) was approved by Health Canada in September 2018 for treating patients with advanced kidney cancer who have had prior vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) targeted therapy.

 

EVEROLIMUS (AFINITOR®)
Approved for patients previously treated with other therapies but are no longer responding to treatment.

 

IPILIMUMAB (YERVOY®)
Ipilimumab (Yervoy®) was approved by Health Canada in 2018 for patients with metastatic kidney cancer who have not had any prior drug treatment for their kidney cancer. It was approved to be used along with nivolumab (Opdivo®).

 

LENVATINIB (LENVIMA®)
Lenvatinib (Lenvima®) was approved by Health Canada in 2017 and may be used in combination with everolimus (Afinitor®) to treat patients who have had vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) targeted therapy before.

 

NIVOLUMAB (OPDIVO®)
In 2016, Health Canada approved nivolumab (Opdivo®) for patients with clear cell kidney cancer who have had targeted therapies before. Nivolumab (Opdivo®) is the first immuno-oncology drug to be approved in Canada for kidney cancer.

 

PAZOBANIB (VOTRIENT®)
Pazopanib (Votrient®) was approved by Health Canada in 2010 for patients who have not had any drug treatment for their kidney cancer before or who have been treated with cytokine.

 

PEMBROLIZUMAB (KEYTRUDA®)
Pembrolizumab (Keytruda®) was approved by Health Canada in 2020 for patients with metastatic kidney cancer who have not had any prior drug treatment for their kidney cancer. It was approved to be used along with axitinib (Inlyta®).

 

SORAFENIB (NEXAVAR®)
Sorafenib (Nexavar®) was approved by Health Canada in 2006 for patients who are not able to tolerate treatment with cytokine or their kidney cancer no longer responds to treatment with cytokine.

 

SUNITINIB (SUTENT®)
The targeted therapy sunitinib (Sutent®) was approved by Health Canada in 2006 for patients with clear cell kidney cancer.

 

TEMSIROLIMUS (TORISEL®)
In 2007, Health Canada approved temsirolimus (Torisel®) for patients who have not had any prior drug treatment for their kidney cancer.

 

NOTE:

Funding of these treatments differs according to your province. Private prescription drug plans may cover some or all of the costs of these treatments.

View treatment access by province / territory

 

MORE INFORMATION:

SECTION REFERENCES:

Government of Canada. The Drug and Health Product Registry. Health Canada. 2016-10-13. Website: https://hpr-rps.hres.ca/index.php

Kidney Cancer Canada