A promising new cancer treatment from China has shown remarkable results in extending survival for patients battling advanced lung cancer, according to research findings shared at a major medical conference on Sunday.
The experimental medication, ivonescimab, developed by China-based Akeso, demonstrated a 15% improvement in patient survival compared to BeOne Medicines’ immunotherapy Tevimbra. Additionally, the treatment reduced death risk by more than one-third among study participants.
Clinical trial data revealed that patients receiving ivonescimab combined with chemotherapy survived for an average of 27.9 months, while those treated with Tevimbra and chemotherapy lived an average of 23.7 months, based on study summary information.
The research findings were unveiled at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting taking place in Chicago on Sunday. The head-to-head comparison study, conducted entirely in China, enrolled 532 patients recently diagnosed with advanced stage 3 or stage 4 squamous non-small cell lung cancer. Both treatment groups also received chemotherapy alongside their respective medications.
In October, the company had previously announced that ivonescimab achieved the study’s primary objective, demonstrating a 40% reduction in disease advancement or death compared to Tevimbra, though overall survival information wasn’t available at that time.
Dr. David Spigel, chief scientific officer of the Sarah Cannon Research Institute in Nashville, Tennessee, addressed the findings during a Saturday press briefing, noting uncertainty about whether the China-based trial results would apply to broader populations due to ethnic differences that can influence drug effectiveness. However, he described the outcomes as “very encouraging.”
Ivonescimab represents a newer category of treatments called bispecific antibodies, which target two different mechanisms simultaneously. The medication blocks both the PD-1 protein that helps cancer cells evade immune system detection and the VEGF protein that can fuel tumor development.
In contrast, Tevimbra functions as a monoclonal antibody targeting only PD-1, similar to other commonly prescribed immunotherapies including Merck’s Keytruda.
Company representatives stated that given the enhanced survival outcomes from the dual-targeting strategy and the medication’s positive risk-benefit characteristics, it should establish itself as the new treatment standard for managing advanced squamous NSCLC.
Safety data published in The Lancet medical journal showed that approximately 69% of patients receiving the drug experienced serious adverse effects, compared to 59% in the standard treatment group. Treatment discontinuation due to side effects occurred in about 5% of participants across both study arms.
Summit Therapeutics holds licensing rights for the medication in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Japan through an agreement valued at up to $5 billion, while Akeso maintains rights for China and remaining global markets.
Dr. Julie Gralow, ASCO’s chief medical officer, explained that these new findings won’t support U.S. regulatory approval since the trial was conducted exclusively in China. She noted that a separate, ongoing worldwide late-stage study comparing ivonescimab with Keytruda is anticipated to yield preliminary results this year.
“We’ve kind of moved from monoclonal antibodies to antibody drug conjugates. Now I think bispecific antibodies are the hot new area,” Gralow said. “If we see the same kind of benefits in this global trial, it will undoubtedly lead to an approval in the U.S.”
