ASCO Highlights: Keytruda Shines in Lung and Gastric Cancer; Novartis’ Kisqali Achieves 70% Survival Rate in Young Women with Advanced Breast Cancer

The annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), held in Chicago, is one of the largest and most authoritative clinical oncology conferences in the world. Today marks the second day of the 2019 ASCO Annual Meeting. The WuXi AppTec WeChat team hereby summarizes for our readers several of the most closely watched research findings presented today.

Keytruda Significantly Improves Five-Year Survival Rate in Advanced Lung Cancer Treatment

Today, five-year data from a clinical trial of the blockbuster immunotherapy Keytruda were released. The data not only reaffirmed its safety and efficacy but also demonstrated that it can significantly extend overall survival in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

In the KEYNOTE-001 clinical trial, the median follow-up time for patients was 60.6 months, approximately 5 years. Researchers found that the overall survival rate of patients was 18%, with a higher survival rate of 23.2% among those who had not received chemotherapy. For patients who had previously received treatment, the survival rate was 15.5%.

▲Specific data of this study (Image source: Reference [4])

For patients with higher PD-L1 expression levels, Keytruda provides greater survival benefits. Among treatment-naïve patients, the survival rate was 29.6% for those with PD-L1 expression levels exceeding 50%, compared to 15.7% for those with PD-L1 expression levels below 50%. In previously treated patients, these figures were 25.0% and 12.6%, respectively.

The official ASCO press release stated that prior to the advent of immunotherapy, the 5-year average survival rate for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was only 5.5%. As the study with the longest follow-up period for Keytruda to date, the 18% overall survival rate represents a historic breakthrough!

Keytruda Improves Survival Rates in Gastric Cancer Treatment

Beyond lung cancer, Keytruda has also demonstrated promising therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of refractory gastric cancer or gastroesophageal junction cancer. In the Phase 3 clinical trial named KEYNOTE-062, Keytruda achieved non-inferiority compared with standard chemotherapy.

Notably, in patients with high PD-L1 expression, Keytruda demonstrated significant clinical improvement. At the 2-year time point, the survival rate for patients receiving standard chemotherapy was 22%. In contrast, 39% of patients treated with Keytruda who had high PD-L1 expression remained alive.

The ASCO press release noted that chemotherapy has been the only treatment option for this refractory cancer type for many years. The results demonstrated by Keytruda hold promise for candidate therapeutic regimens with fewer side effects. More importantly, it has the potential to significantly prolong survival in a subset of patients.

Novartis Breast Cancer Therapy Can Extend the Lives of Young Women

Novartis’ innovative breast cancer therapy, Kisqali (ribociclib), is a targeted CDK4/6 inhibitor. In July 2018, it received U.S. FDA approval for an expanded indication, in combination with aromatase inhibitors, for the treatment of patients with HR-positive, HER2-negative advanced or metastatic breast cancer.

▲Kisqali in combination with endocrine therapy holds promise for benefiting premenopausal women (Image source: Reference [5])

In the Phase 3 MONALEESA-7 clinical trial, researchers found that for premenopausal women with the aforementioned refractory breast cancer, combining Kisqali with standard endocrine therapy significantly prolonged overall survival. At 42 months of follow-up, the survival rate among women receiving the combination therapy was as high as 70%, compared to only 46% for those receiving endocrine therapy alone.

Researchers have pointed out that Kisqali is the first targeted therapy used in combination with endocrine therapy as a first-line treatment for advanced breast cancer, which can significantly improve survival rates. For patients suffering from this malignant form of breast cancer, Kisqali has brought hope.

In the coming days, the WuXi AppTec WeChat team will continue to provide readers with the latest updates from ASCO. Stay tuned!

References:

[1] Pembrolizumab Increases Historic Survival Rate for Certain People with Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Retrieved June 1, 2019, from https://www.asco.org/about-asco/press-center/news-releases/pembrolizumab-increases-historic-survival-rate-certain-people

[2] Front-Line Pembrolizumab Is Promising Alternative to Chemotherapy for Advanced Gastroesophageal Junction and Gastric Cancers, Retrieved June 1, 2019, from https://www.asco.org/about-asco/press-center/news-releases/front-line-pembrolizumab-promising-alternative-chemotherapy

[3] Adding Ribociclib to First-Line Endocrine Therapy Significantly Improves Survival for Pre-Menopausal Women With Advanced Breast Cancer, Retrieved June 1, 2019, from https://www.asco.org/about-asco/press-center/news-releases/adding-ribociclib-first-line-endocrine-therapy-significantly

[4] Five-Year Survival Data for Merck’s KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) in Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) from First KEYNOTE Trial at 2019 ASCO Annual Meeting, Retrieved June 1, 2019, from https://www.mrknewsroom.com/news-release/oncology/five-year-survival-data-mercks-keytruda-pembrolizumab-advanced-non-small-cell-

[5] Novartis Kisqali significantly extends life in women with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer in MONALEESA-7 trial, Retrieved June 1, 2019, from https://novartis.gcs-web.com/Novartis-Kisqali-significantly-extends-life-in-women-with-HR-HER2-advanced-breast-cancer-in-MONALEESA-7-trial

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