Experimental Cancer Shot Eliminates Tumors in Landmark Study

A promising new cancer therapy has produced remarkable results in patients with advanced head and neck cancer, completely eliminating tumors in some individuals whose disease had continued to progress despite chemotherapy and immunotherapy, according to findings reported Saturday.

Data from the international OrigAMI-4 clinical trial showed that the experimental medication amivantamab either reduced or completely wiped out tumors in 43 of 102 participants whose cancer had returned or spread after standard treatments stopped working.

Of those patients, 15 experienced a complete disappearance of their tumors.

Kevin Harrington of the Institute of Cancer Research and the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust described the outcomes as exceptionally encouraging for a group of patients who typically have very few options left.

“This is a group of patients for whom treatment options are extremely limited, so seeing this level of benefit is very striking,” Harrington said.

Researchers are scheduled to present the findings at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago.

Amivantamab fights cancer through multiple mechanisms. The drug blocks the EGFR protein that fuels tumor growth, shuts down the MET pathway often used by cancer cells to resist treatment, and also helps stimulate the body’s immune system to attack malignant cells.

Investigators noted that the medication is administered through a small injection beneath the skin rather than by intravenous infusion, making treatment quicker and more convenient for patients.

Most participants experienced only mild or moderate side effects, and fewer than 10 percent discontinued treatment because of complications related to the drug.

One participant in the study, 56-year-old Carl Walsh of Birmingham, entered the trial after conventional therapies failed to stop the progression of his tongue cancer.

“I was initially treated with both chemotherapy and immunotherapy, which unfortunately were not successful,” Walsh said.

“At that point, I was recommended for the OrigAMI-4 trial,” he said.

Walsh said the experimental treatment dramatically changed his daily life.

“I now feel able to live a normal life,” he said.

“Since beginning treatment, the swelling has reduced significantly, and my pain levels have improved considerably,” he said.

He said he noticed major improvements after only two rounds of treatment, eventually regaining the ability to eat normally and enjoying “the first big steak” after months of being restricted to soft foods.

Researchers emphasized that the trial focused specifically on HPV-negative head and neck cancers, a form of the disease that is generally more difficult to treat and often carries a poorer prognosis than HPV-related cancers.

Despite having aggressive cancer that had already progressed after standard therapies, patients in the study survived a median of 12.5 months following the start of treatment.

Scientists cautioned that the results are still preliminary and will need to be confirmed through larger clinical trials before definitive conclusions can be drawn.

Amivantamab, which was developed by Johnson & Johnson, is currently being evaluated in approximately 60 clinical studies involving a variety of cancers, including lung, colorectal, brain, and stomach cancers.

Kristian Helin, chief executive of the Institute of Cancer Research, said the early findings could represent a major advance for patients who have exhausted most available treatment options.

The findings represent “a significant step forward” for patients with very limited treatment options, Helin said.

{Matzav.com}