About 80,000 people in the US are diagnosed with kidney cancer each year, most with clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Many are cured by surgery. For advanced disease, immunotherapy combinations are standard. HIF-2α blockers like belzutifan are the newest drug class, now moving into earlier treatment.
- 470studies open or running
- 41phase 3 trials
- 3,596papers published this year
- 40NIH-funded projects
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Now
Nov 2026
Belzutifan added after surgeryHappened 28% lower relapse risk
FDA approved belzutifan plus pembrolizumab after surgery in June 2026; relapse risk fell 28%.
28%: lower risk of relapse or death than pembrolizumab alone.
Immunotherapy after surgery extends lifeHappened 91.2% alive at 4 years
91.2% alive at 4 years with pembrolizumab vs 86.0% with placebo.
91.2%: alive at 4 years with pembrolizumab, vs 86.0%.
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6 months
by May 2027
Triple combination resultsPossible
LITESPARK-012, a 1,688-person trial adding belzutifan to first-line pembrolizumab and lenvatinib, has finished its main data collection.
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12 months
by Nov 2027
Better drugs for non-clear cell typesPossible
STELLAR-304 tests zanzalintinib with nivolumab against sunitinib in rarer kidney cancers; due December 2026.
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3 years
by late 2029
A second HIF-2α drugPossible
Arcus's 720-person PEAK-1 trial of casdatifan with cabozantinib finishes April 2028.
Personalized cancer vaccine after surgeryLong shot
Merck and Moderna test an mRNA vaccine with pembrolizumab after kidney surgery; due January 2028.
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5 years
by late 2031
Is kidney removal needed with modern drugs?Possible
SWOG PROBE tests whether removing the kidney adds benefit to drug combinations for advanced disease.
The research paths
HIF-2α blockers
28% lower relapse riskDetails and 3 trialsHide
Pills that block the HIF-2α switch driving most clear cell kidney cancers.
WatchLITESPARK-012; casdatifan PEAK-1.
Immunotherapy combinations
91.2% alive at 4 yearsDetails and 2 trialsHide
New partners for immunotherapy and new uses in rarer kidney cancer types.
WatchSTRIKE and STELLAR-304.
Surgery and radiation
Details and 1 trialsHide
Testing when kidney removal or focused radiation still adds benefit.
WatchPROBE.
Borrowed from other cancers
From Melanoma
mRNA cancer vaccine (V940)
Phase 2
A personalized vaccine first tested in melanoma after surgery.
Open to join now
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After immunotherapy
Casdatifan with cabozantinib
Locations and eligibility → -
After surgery
Tivozanib added to pembrolizumab
Locations and eligibility → -
Recurrent after surgery
Belzutifan and zanzalintinib
Locations and eligibility → -
Advanced disease
Kidney removal with drug treatment
Locations and eligibility →
See every recruiting Kidney cancer trial →
When the trials finish
Completion dates the trials registered. Results usually follow 3 to 12 months later.
- Heating up
- Maturing
- Early
- Cooling
- Fully enrolled, waiting on results
- Still enrolling
What just happened
FDA approves belzutifan plus pembrolizumab after surgery
28% lower risk of relapse or death.
Pembrolizumab after surgery extends survival
KEYNOTE-564, NEJM.
Standard treatment today
- Small tumorPartial kidney removal, ablation, or monitoring for very small tumors.
- After surgery, higher riskPembrolizumab for a year, now with or without belzutifan.
- Advanced, first treatmentImmunotherapy combinations: nivolumab with ipilimumab or cabozantinib; pembrolizumab with axitinib or lenvatinib.
- After immunotherapyBelzutifan, cabozantinib or other VEGF drugs.
How to read this page, and sourcesHow to read this page, and sources
- Most trials are in clear cell kidney cancer; rarer types have fewer options.
- Forecasts are editorial judgments by Find a Trial, not predictions from sponsors or regulators.
See Kidney cancer trials recruiting now →