BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM
A global trial discovered a potential new medicine combination that prevents lung cancer progression for much longer than existing standard therapies. The combination of amivantamab and lazertinib increased progression-free survival in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by 40 percent, increasing it to 23.7 months from 16.6 months with the usual treatment, osimertinib.
Lung cancer is the world’s greatest cause of cancer death, accounting for 1.8 million fatalities per year. Survival rates for patients with advanced stages of the disease, particularly non-small cell lung cancer, remain low. However, the findings of this research, which enrolled 1,074 patients from throughout the world, provide a new sense of hope.
Precision medicine brings new hope
The key to this breakthrough is precision medicine. Amivantamab and lazertinib are both meant to selectively target and inhibit cancer cell proliferation. Amivantamab is a monoclonal antibody, and lazertinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor; together, they work on separate routes to prevent cancer progression.
Professor Martin Forster, the primary researcher for the UK component of the experiment, described the findings as “amazing.” He stated that a better understanding of the biology underlying lung cancer has cleared the road for tailored medicines such as this. “It’s amazing to see this new combination shows longer cancer control than osimertinib, which was itself a breakthrough treatment only a few years ago,” he remarked.
Expanding treatment options
While the US Food and Medicine Administration (FDA) has authorized this medicine combination, experts expect it will soon be available in the UK through the National Health Service (NHS). The trial’s chief investigator, Professor Raffaele Califano, noted, “The more treatment options we have, the more hope we bring to patients and families.”
Patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations, which account for as much as 25 percent of all lung cancer cases worldwide, are particularly likely to benefit. EGFR mutations are more common in women and persons who have never or only lightly smoked. Targeted therapy for these patients offers a big step toward better lung cancer outcomes.
The golden age of cancer research
These findings come at a time when cancer research is making incredible progress. According to Anna Kinsella of Cancer Research UK, the trial’s findings mirror a broader trend in cancer research: “We are in a golden age of cancer research, where a greater understanding of what drives specific cancers is informing new and better ways to beat the disease.”
Patients are living longer, healthier lives despite having lung cancer, thanks to more effective, customized treatments. Paula Chadwick, CEO of the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, stressed the importance of these advancements: “Each new breakthrough keeps that hope burning, even if it doesn’t directly benefit an individual.”
Although side effects such as rash, infection, and blood clots were reported during the experiment, researchers are encouraged by the dramatic increase in patient outcomes. They expect that the combination of amivantamab and lazertinib will soon be available to more patients, adding another therapy option for people with advanced lung cancer.
This new treatment is part of a larger push for precision medicine, in which medicines are tailored to the genetic profile of both the patient and the cancer. According to Forster: “This precision approach is improving outcomes for many more of our patients, as new drugs are being developed to exploit vulnerabilities being identified in increasing numbers of lung cancers.”
The fight against lung cancer is still ongoing but advances like these give patients and their families new hope.
