The findings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) on April 28 and presented at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting in Chicago on the same day.
The researchers found that the oral medication zongertinib outperformed the standard treatment option when treating HER2-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). It works by targeting the HER2 protein and blocking the activity of the protein’s tyrosine kinase, which is responsible for signalling cell growth.
This type of lung cancer is particularly difficult to treat. Unlike other NSCLC variants, it only has one treatment option that has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration: intravenous antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) therapy. And ADC-class medications carry risks of adverse effects, including diarrhoea, nausea, fatigue and skin rashes.
Wang Xin, professor at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Cancer Hospital, said in an April 29 review of the NEJM study that zongertinib had the “potential to establish a new benchmark for targeted therapy in HER2-mutant NSCLC”.
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New oral treatment for blood cancer offers 97% cure rate, Hong Kong researchers say
New oral treatment for blood cancer offers 97% cure rate, Hong Kong researchers say
The multi-cohort study was conducted at 82 sites around the world, including 18 US institutions, 17 in China and three in Japan. The analysis published by the NEJM included 188 NSCLC patients, with Asian populations accounting for a majority.
