Efficacy

Imfinzi (Durvalumab) Efficacy in Lung Cancer

Imfinzi (durvalumab) is a programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) blocking antibody used in the treatment of lung cancer. Specifically, it has been approved for the treatment of patients with stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that is inoperable and whose disease has not progressed following concurrent platinum-based chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Clinical trials have demonstrated that durvalumab can significantly improve median progression-free survival compared to placebo, offering a new hope for patients with this particular stage of lung cancer. The PACIFIC trial, a pivotal study in this context, has shown that durvalumab treatment can lead to a substantial improvement in overall survival as well, marking it as an effective option for maintenance therapy in this patient population.

Despite its efficacy, the response to durvalumab can vary based on the expression level of PD-L1 on tumor cells. Patients with higher PD-L1 expression tend to have a better response to the treatment. However, durvalumab has been shown to provide benefit across a broad range of PD-L1 expression levels, which is encouraging for its use as a standard-of-care therapy for stage III NSCLC patients following chemoradiation.

Tabrecta (Capmatinib) Efficacy in Lung Cancer

Tabrecta (capmatinib) is a kinase inhibitor specifically targeting the MET gene, which can be abnormally activated in some NSCLC patients. This abnormal activation, caused by a mutation known as MET exon 14 skipping, can be a driving factor in the growth and spread of cancer cells. Capmatinib has shown promising efficacy in treating patients with metastatic NSCLC harboring these MET exon 14 skipping mutations. The drug's approval was based on the results of the GEOMETRY mono-1 trial, which demonstrated a high response rate in patients treated with capmatinib, both in treatment-naive and previously treated patients.

The trial results have indicated that capmatinib can significantly reduce tumor burden, with a notable percentage of patients achieving partial or complete responses. These responses were observed regardless of prior treatment with chemotherapy or other targeted therapies, suggesting that capmatinib is effective as both a first-line and later-line treatment option. Additionally, the duration of response and overall survival data from the trial further support the use of capmatinib in this subset of lung cancer patients, offering a targeted therapy option where previously limited treatments were available.