Wonder drug for treating ovarian, womb cancer on the way
What's the story
British pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has reported promising results from an early-stage trial of its new drug for gynecological cancers. The treatment, known as Mocertatug Rezetecan or Mo-Rez, showed positive outcomes in patients with ovarian and endometrial cancers. In cases where chemotherapy had failed, the drug shrank or eliminated tumors in 62% of ovarian cancer patients and 67% of those with endometrial cancer.
Drug development
Mo-Rez tested on 224 patients worldwide
GSK acquired Mo-Rez, an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), from China's Hansoh Pharma in late 2023. Over the past year, it has been tested on 224 patients worldwide, including those in the UK. Most patients tolerated the treatment well with nausea being the most common side effect. Now, backed by these promising results and data from a separate intermediate trial in China, GSK is gearing up for late-stage trials of Mo-Rez across five clinical studies globally in the coming months.
Clinical significance
Drug expected to help GSK reach £40B sales target
Hesham Abdullah, GSK's global head of cancer research and development, emphasized the need for new therapies with improved response rates in treating gynecological cancers. He called Mo-Rez a "key asset" in the company's expanding cancer portfolio. The drug is expected to be a blockbuster with peak annual sales exceeding £2 billion. GSK hopes this will help it reach its ambitious target of £40 billion in sales by 2031.
Market performance
GSK's oncology division brought in nearly £2B last year
Since re-entering oncology less than a decade ago, GSK has grown its cancer drug portfolio to four approved medicines and 13 in clinical development. Last year, the oncology division brought in nearly £2 billion in sales, a whopping 43% increase from 2024. The sales of Jemperli, an endometrial cancer drug from GSK's stable, skyrocketed by 89%.