A recent phase 3 study, HARMONi-2, has shown that ivonescimab may offers a significant advantage over pembrolizumab for patients with PD-L1–positive advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Key Findings:
- Disease Progression and Survival: Ivonescimab reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 49% compared to pembrolizumab. In this study, patients treated with ivonescimab had a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 11.14 months, compared to 5.82 months for those on pembrolizumab. At 9 months, PFS rates were 56% with ivonescimab versus 40% with pembrolizumab.
- Broad Benefits: The effectiveness of ivonescimab was consistent regardless of PD-L1 expression levels or tumor type. It showed improved outcomes for both squamous and nonsquamous NSCLC, with notable benefits even in patients with lower PD-L1 expression levels.
- Safety and Tolerability: Ivonescimab was well-tolerated with manageable side effects. Common adverse effects included proteinuria and hypertension, but serious side effects were rare and did not lead to significant treatment discontinuations or deaths.
Ivonescimab is an investigational therapy designed to target advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). It works by combining two mechanisms into one therapy. First, it blocks PD-1, a protein that tumors use to evade the immune system, allowing the body’s own immune cells to better recognize and attack cancer cells. Second, ivonescimab targets VEGF, a protein that helps tumors grow new blood vessels to nourish themselves. By inhibiting both PD-1 and VEGF, ivonescimab not only boosts the immune system’s ability to fight cancer but also starves the tumor of the blood supply it needs to grow, making it a dual-action approach to more effectively combat advanced NSCLC.
The HARMONi-2 trial suggests that ivonescimab could become a new frontline option for treating advanced NSCLC. Ongoing studies will provide further insights into long-term outcomes and confirm these findings.
For patients, this could mean better management of advanced NSCLC with a novel treatment option showing promising early results.
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References:
- Zhou C, Chen J, Wu L, et al. Phase 3 study of ivonescimab (AK112) vs. pembrolizumab as first-line treatment for PD-L1-positive advanced NSCLC: HARMONi-2. Presented at: 2024 IASLC World Conference on Lung Cancer; September 7-10, 2024; San Diego, California. Abstract PL02.04.Wang L, Luo Y,
- Ren S, et al. A phase 1b study of ivonescimab, a programmed cell death protein-1 and vascular endothelial growth factor bispecific antibody, as first- or second-line therapy for advanced or metastatic immunotherapy-naive NSCLC. J Thorac Oncol. 2024;19(3):465-475. doi:10.1016/j.jtho.2023.10.014
