Summary
A new Phase 3 trial finds Ivonescimab paired with chemotherapy delayed lung cancer progression by 40 % compared to a PD-1 inhibitor combo.
A recent clinical trial led by Akeso and Summit Therapeutics tested a drug called Ivonescimab combined with chemotherapy in people with advanced lung cancer. In this Phase 3 trial — called HARMONi-6 — patients who received Ivonescimab + chemo had better results than those getting a different immunotherapy drug (a PD-1 inhibitor named Tevimbra) plus chemo.
Specifically, Ivonescimab + chemo reduced the risk of disease progression by 40%. On average, patients given Ivonescimab lived about 11 months before their cancer worsened, compared to around 7 months for patients on the Tevimbra regimen. Importantly, this benefit appeared no matter how much of a particular tumor protein (PD-L1) people had.
The side effects for the two treatment groups were similar. However, people receiving Ivonescimab experienced more serious side effects tied to the drug’s effect on blood vessels, things like higher blood pressure or markers suggesting kidney stress.
These results sparked excitement because Ivonescimab is part of a new class of cancer treatments that work in two ways: blocking immune suppression (via PD-1) and stopping the growth of new blood vessels tumors need (via VEGF). Some analysts believe this success in HARMONi-6 signals good chances that a bigger global trial comparing Ivonescimab + chemo with the current standard treatment in many countries may also succeed.
At the same time, some are cautious. They note that progress-free survival (how long until cancer worsens) doesn’t always mean people will live longer overall. More data, especially on overall survival, will be needed before Ivonescimab can become a new standard treatment worldwide.
