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A new injectable cancer treatment has delivered promising results in an international clinical trial, with researchers reporting significant tumor reduction and, in some cases, complete tumor disappearance in patients whose disease had stopped responding to conventional therapies.
The treatment, known as amivantamab, was tested in 102 patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer across 11 countries. Participants had previously failed to respond to both chemotherapy and immunotherapy, leaving them with limited treatment options.
According to the findings, tumors shrank or disappeared in 43 patients. Among them, 28 experienced substantial tumor reduction, while 15 saw their tumors completely vanish.
Researchers described the outcomes as particularly encouraging given the advanced stage of disease in the trial population. Professor Kevin Harrington of the Institute of Cancer Research in London called the response “unprecedented” for patients whose cancers had become resistant to standard treatments.
Amivantamab works through a triple-action approach. It blocks EGFR, a protein that promotes tumor growth, and MET, a pathway cancer cells often use to evade treatment. The drug also helps activate the immune system to attack cancer cells.
The therapy is administered as a small injection under the skin rather than through an intravenous infusion, making treatment faster and more convenient for both patients and healthcare providers.
Most side effects were reported as mild to moderate, and fewer than 10% of participants discontinued treatment because of adverse reactions.
Researchers noted that the trial focused on patients with difficult-to-treat head and neck cancers not linked to human papillomavirus (HPV), a group that typically faces poorer outcomes. They believe the results could represent a significant step forward for patients with limited treatment alternatives.
The study findings are being presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), while additional clinical trials are ongoing to evaluate the drug’s effectiveness against lung, colorectal, brain, and stomach cancers.
