Exelixis to evaluate cabozantinib and atezolizumab in solid tumors

US biotech firm Exelixis (Nasdaq: EXEL) has joined forces with Roche (ROG: SIX) on a Phase Ib dose escalation study that will evaluate the safety and tolerability of its cabozantinib combined with a drug from the Swiss pharma giant.

Cabozantinib, Exelixis’ tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), will be studied in combination with atezolizumab, Roche’s anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy, in patients with locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors. Enrollment is scheduled to begin mid-year 2017;Exelixis will be the sponsor of the trial, and Roche will provide atezolizumab.

This adds to a clinical development collaboration to evaluate Cabometyx (cabozantinib) with Opdivo (nivolumab), Bristol-Myers Squibb’s (NYSE: BMY) PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor, either alone or in combination with Yervoy (ipilimumab), in first-line renal cell carcinoma that Exelixis also announced yesterday.