Lung cancer pill outperforms chemotherapy in clinical trials

Lung cancer is the third most common cancer in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Patients may be treated by a variety of approved immunotherapies and chemotherapies if surgery is not an option.

An oral pill for lung cancer named Lumakras, made by Amgen, shows promise for lung cancer patients who have tried many other treatments already with little improvement.

In phase 3 clinical trials, patients with non-small cell lung cancer received Lumakras or intravenous chemotherapy (docetaxel). The patients may have tried other treatments like immunotherapy.

The company presented the preliminary results this week at the European Society for Medical Oncology Congress 2022.

People who took the pill had significantly better progression-free survival, meaning that the cancer did not get worse, compared to patients who received chemotherapy, according to a press release. Although, overall survival rates between the oral pill and chemotherapy patients did not differ substantially, this new drug could potentially help patients with severe lung cancer and who have few other treatment options.

Twenty-five percent of patients who took Lumakras had progression-free survival after one year compared to 10 percent for patients who received chemotherapy, according to the press release. Overall, Lumakras reduced risk of disease progression or death by 34 percent compared to docetaxel, Reuters reported. Patients who receibed Lumakras also had better objective response rate, which is the proportion of patients who responded to treatment, at 28 percent versus 13 percent for chemotherapy patients.

Side effects included diarrhea and elevated liver enzymes in 33 percent of oral pill patients, compared with 40 percent of chemotherapy patients. The company is also testing this oral pill in a combined treatment with immunotherapy, although further study is needed to determine safety.