Keytruda as First-Line Therapy Triples 5-Year Survival Rate in Advanced Lung Cancer Patients Compared to Historical Outcomes
MSD
Pharmaceutical R&D and Manufacturer
University of California
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Prior to the advent of immunotherapy, achieving a 5-year survival rate was extremely difficult for patients with metastatic advanced lung cancer. However, the long-term survival results of Keytruda in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), presented by MSD at the ASCO 2019 conference on June 1, were highly encouraging.
Five-year data from the Phase Ib KEYNOTE-001 study demonstrated that first-line monotherapy with Keytruda (n=101) significantly improved the 5-year survival rate compared to previously treated patients with advanced NSCLC (n=449) (23.2% vs. 15.5%). Among patients with high PD-L1 expression (TPS ≥50%), the corresponding figures were 29.6% (n=27) and 25.0% (n=138), respectively.
Professor Edward B. Garon of the University of California stated: “Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. In the United States, the historical 5-year long-term survival rate for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been approximately 5%. Therefore, it is highly encouraging to observe such favorable long-term survival outcomes with Keytruda monotherapy as a first-line treatment. In fact, some of our patients remain alive seven years after treatment, and evidence indicates that patients who receive Keytruda for two years can survive for more than five years.”
At a median follow-up of 60.6 months, the KEYNOTE-001 study met its primary endpoints for OS, ORR, and duration of response. The investigator-assessed ORR was 41.6% in treatment-naïve patients and 22.9% in previously treated patients, with median DORs of 16.8 and 38.9 months, respectively.
Among 60 patients treated with Keytruda for more than 2 years, the 5-year survival rates were 78.6% and 75.8% for treatment-naïve patients and previously treated patients, respectively, and the objective response rates (ORR) were 86% and 91%, respectively. The median duration of response (DOR) for treatment-naïve patients was 52 months, while the data for previously treated patients were immature.
Original Title: 5-Year Survival Rate Tripled Compared to the Past, Keytruda as First-Line Treatment Brings Significant Survival Benefits to Patients with Advanced Lung Cancer
*Disclaimer: This article was written by an author contributing to Sina Medical News. The views expressed are solely those of the author and do not represent the position of Sina Medical News.
