Triple-action cancer injection shows tumor eradication in trial

The Story

According to a single-source report from The Guardian, an international trial spanning 11 countries has found that a triple-action cancer injection called amivantamab can shrink or eliminate tumors in patients whose cancer had spread or returned and had not responded to other treatments. The injection was given to 102 patients with head and neck cancer, with tumors shrinking or disappearing completely in 43 patients, including 15 who saw their tumors eradicated entirely. Researchers noted similar results in patients with lung cancer. The drug, developed by Johnson & Johnson, is now being evaluated in about 60 clinical trials for several cancer types. The findings are scheduled to be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago. One patient, Carl Walsh, reported significant improvement in symptoms and quality of life after joining the trial. Most side effects were mild to moderate, with fewer than one in 10 patients stopping treatment.

Key Facts

• The trial involved 102 patients with head and neck cancer from 11 countries.
• Tumors shrank or disappeared in 43 patients: 28 had significant shrinkage, 15 saw complete eradication.
• The injection, amivantamab, targets cancer in three ways: blocking EGFR and MET proteins and activating the immune system.
• The drug is given as a small injection under the skin every three weeks.
• Most side effects were mild to moderate; fewer than 10% of patients stopped treatment.
• Patients receiving amivantamab lived a median of 12.5 months after starting treatment.
• The trial excluded patients with HPV-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Conflicting Reports

No conflicting reports identified in the source article.

Still Unclear

No open questions identified in the source article.

Misconceptions

No widespread misconceptions addressed in the source article.

Key Figures

• Kevin Harrington, professor in biological cancer therapies at the Institute of Cancer Research, London (ICR) and consultant oncologist at the Royal Marsden NHS foundation trust.
• Kristian Helin, chief executive of the ICR.
• Carl Walsh, 56, patient from Birmingham who joined the OrigAMI-4 trial at the Royal Marsden.

Sources: The Guardian