This drug combo cuts death-risk in cancer cases by 58%
What's the story
Amgen's Imdelltra, an immunotherapy drug, has been found to significantly increase survival rates in patients with aggressive small cell lung cancer (SCLC) when used with AstraZeneca's Imfinzi. The combination therapy was tested as a maintenance treatment for patients who had previously received Imfinzi and chemotherapy without disease progression. The late-stage trial showed that the combination reduced the risk of death by an impressive 58%.
Survival rates
Patients on combo therapy lived over 8 months longer
The combination therapy also extended the median overall survival time of patients.
Those on the combo regimen had a median survival of 21.1 months, compared to just 12.7 months for those on Imfinzi alone.
"I think there are moments in medicine when you see a piece of data that is so profound that it's going to transform the standard of care for patients," Dr. Paul Burton, Amgen's chief medical officer, said in an interview after the trial results were released.
Market impact
Trial results hint at bigger commercial opportunity for Imdelltra
The trial results also hint at a bigger commercial opportunity for Imdelltra, which raked in $288 million in sales in Q2, up 115% year-on-year.
The drug has already earned $627 million in global sales last year and is on track to become a blockbuster medicine.
"These data say that's a possibility," Burton said about the potential of the combination therapy to turn one of the most aggressive cancers into a chronic disease.
Treatment challenges
SCLC is difficult to treat as it often returns quickly
SCLC is hard to treat as the disease often returns or worsens within months, even after initial chemotherapy.
Although immunotherapy has helped some patients achieve years of disease control, most have not seen similar long-term benefits.
"There are roughly 31,000 new small cell lung cancer cases in the US each year," said Dr. Jacob Sands, lead trial investigator and associate chief of the Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Treatment evolution
Amgen believes early use of Imdelltra could change disease course
Amgen has suggested that introducing Imdelltra earlier in treatment could significantly alter the disease's course.
Currently, Imdelltra is approved for patients whose SCLC has worsened on or after platinum-based chemotherapy.
The trial specifically tested whether adding Imdelltra could help patients live longer than continuing with just Imfinzi, which is already approved as a first-line treatment for this type of lung cancer.
Strategy
80% of patients on combo therapy alive at 1 year
The trial results showed that nearly 80% of patients who started both drugs were alive at one year, compared to 53% on Imfinzi alone.
"Imdelltra's 'big impact' on controlling the disease and ultimately how long people live highlights the importance of including it in first-line maintenance treatment," Sands said.
Burton added that it positions Amgen's drug as an "indispensable backbone therapy" for SCLC, regardless of other immunotherapies that can be paired with it.