New data presented at the ESMO Congress in Madrid show that combining Amgen\u2019s drug Imdelltra with AstraZeneca\u2019s immunotherapy Imfinzi reduces the risk of death from extensive-stage small cell lung cancer by 58%.<\/p>\n
The clinical trial showed that treatment with both drugs increased median overall survival to 21.1 months. By comparison, patients treated with Imfinzi alone (the standard therapy) lived for a median of 12.7 months. After one year of follow-up, nearly 80% of patients receiving the combination therapy were still alive, compared with just 53% in the monotherapy group.<\/p>\n
Small cell lung cancer is an extremely aggressive disease. The new combination works through two complementary mechanisms: Imdelltra, a bispecific antibody, directly links the immune system\u2019s T cells to cancer cells, enabling them to destroy the tumor cells. Meanwhile, Imfinzi prevents the tumor from evading immune attack.<\/p>\n
The full results of the study, which included 563 patients, were published in the medical journal The New England Journal of Medicine. According to the data, serious adverse events, including a decrease in white blood cell counts, occurred in 20.9% of patients in the combination therapy group, compared with 10.8% in the monotherapy group. In addition, nearly half (49.6%) of patients receiving Imdelltra developed cytokine release syndrome (an aggressive inflammatory reaction). However, only one patient experienced a severe case, and it did not result in death.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe earlier we start treatment with Imdelltra, the greater the clinical benefit we achieve. Results like these have never before been seen in the treatment of extensive-stage small cell lung cancer,\u201d said Paul Burton, Amgen\u2019s chief medical officer.<\/p>\n