World Lung is in full swing, which means the press releases are coming fast (before the papers or the sessions). 🫁
Why do we care in GI?
Because all the shiny things start in lung and eventually make their way over here.
HARMONi-2 compared ivonescimab vs pembrolizumab in PD-L1+ advanced NSCLC.
We already knew the PFS result was kind of wild (in a China-only study):
11.1 vs 5.8 months
HR 0.51
Now OS:
🔥 30.8 vs 22.6 months
🔥 HR 0.73
PD-L1 ≥50%: HR 0.58
PD-L1 1–49%: HR 0.85
So now this PD-1 x VEGF bispecific has beaten pembrolizumab for both PFS and OS in a randomized phase III trial.
Yes, China only.
Yes, pembro monotherapy is not really the comparator most of us would want for PD-L1 1–49%.
Still. An 8-month OS difference is quite a bit.
GI oncologists should be paying attention because this is already cooking in the first line mCRC setting with HARMONi-GI3.
mFOLFOX6 + ivonescimab
vs
mFOLFOX6 + bevacizumab
Is this an end-run around patent protection laws and PD1/PDL1's run out of time? (yes)
Does the strategy have synergystic benefit?
Time will tell.
@OncoAlert @TheGutOncLab @Onco_Nexus