Arjan Gower, a hematologist/oncologist at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, received a $950,000 grant from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network and Taiho Oncology Inc. to help launch a multi-institutional clinical trial to test zipalertinib, an investigational drug that targets specific EGFR mutations, including Exon 20 insertions, which are known to drive cancer growth and resist standard treatments.
An investigational therapy significantly shrank lung cancer tumors that are notoriously resistant to treatment by encouraging an attack from natural killer cells in an animal model, a study led by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers shows. The findings, published in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer, could lead to new types of immunotherapy that rely on this novel strategy.
FDA granted priority review to Boehringer Ingelheim’s new drug application for BI 1810631 (zongertinib) for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer whose tumors have HER2 mutations and who have received prior systemic therapy.
Johnson & Johnson announced positive topline results for overall survival from the phase III MARIPOSA study, evaluating Rybrevant (amivantamab-vmjw) plus Lazcluze (lazertinib) as a first-line therapy for patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer with epidermal growth factor receptor exon 19 deletions (ex19del) or L858R substitution mutations.
FDA approved Ensacove (ensartinib) for adult patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer who have not previously received an ALK-inhibitor.
Genentech’s phase III SKYSCRAPER-01 study, evaluating tiragolumab combined with Tecentriq (atezolizumab) compared to Tecentriq alone for patients with PD-L1-high, locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, did not reach the primary endpoint of overall survival at the final analysis. The overall safety profile observed remained consistent with longer follow-up, and no new safety signals were identified. The detailed data will be presented at a medical meeting in 2025.
FDA has granted accelerated approval to zenocutuzumab-zbco (Bizengri) for adults
Merus a clinical-stage oncology company developing innovative, full-length multispecific antibodies and Partner Therapeutics Inc., a private, fully-integrated biotechnology company with a focus in hematology and oncology, announced they have entered into an agreement in which Merus has exclusively licensed to PTx the right to commercialize zenocutuzumab (Zeno, also called Bizengri) for the treatment of NRG1 fusion-positive cancer in the U.S.
Roy S. Herbst (middle) receives his award at the Innovation Gala of The Chemotherapy+ Foundation, with Robert Winn (left), director and Lipman Chair in Oncology at VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Katerina Politi (right), scientific director of YCC’s Center for Thoracic Cancers.Roy S. Herbst was awarded the Ezra Greenspan Award at the Innovation Gala of The Chemotherapy+ Foundation on Nov. 19 in New York City.
FDA has approved FoundationOne Liquid CDx to be used as a companion diagnostic for Tepmetko (tepotinib) developed by EMD Serono, the healthcare business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany in the U.S. and Canada. Tepmetko received accelerated approval from FDA in February 2021 and traditional approval in February 2024 for the treatment of adult patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer harboring mesenchymal-epithelial transition exon 14 skipping alterations. FoundationOne Liquid CDx is the first FDA-approved companion diagnostic to identify patients who may be eligible for Tepmetko.
