Axitinib With or Without Anti-OX40 Antibody PF-04518600 in Treating Patients With Metastatic Kidney Cancer

This randomized phase II trial studies how well axitinib with or without anti-OX40 antibody PF-04518600 work in treating patients with kidney cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. Biological therapies, such as anti-OX40 antibody PF-04518600, use substances made from living organisms that may may stimulate the immune system in different ways and stop tumor cells from growing. Axitinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Giving axitinib with or without anti-OX40 antibody PF-04518600 may work better in treating patients with kidney cancer.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. To determine whether a statistically significant improvement in progression free survival exists for patients receiving the combination. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. To determine whether the combination is safe and whether objective response rate (ORR), duration of response (DOR) and overall survival (OS) improve as a result of treatment with combination of axitinib + anti-OX40 antibody PF-04518600 (PF-04518600 \[OX40 Ab\]) compared to axitinib + placebo. TERTIARY OBJECTIVES: I. To determine whether pre and post treatment specimens collected during the trial demonstrate significant changes in tumor microenvironment and enhanced immune response to tumor cells. OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 arms. ARM I: Patients receive axitinib orally (PO) twice daily (BID) on days 1-14 and anti-OX40 antibody PF-04518600 intravenously (IV) over 60 minutes on day 1 beginning with course 2. Courses repeat every 14 days in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. ARM II: Patients receive axitinib as in Arm I and placebo IV on day 1 beginning with course 2. Courses repeat every 14 days in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up at 30, 90, and 180 days.