Cancer jab can eradicate entire tumours in patients, trial shows
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- Amivantamab is a triple‑action therapy that blocks EGFR and MET while activating the immune system to attack tumors.
- The trial enrolled 102 patients with head‑neck cancer across 11 countries; tumors shrank or disappeared in 43 patients, including 15 with complete eradication.
- Johnson & Johnson developed amivantamab, which is being evaluated in about 60 clinical trials for lung, colorectal, brain, and gastric cancers.
- Carl Walsh, a 56‑year‑old with tongue cancer, has completed 17 cycles of the subcutaneous injection and reports restored speech and eating ability.
- ASCO will present the full results at its annual meeting in Chicago, highlighting the drug’s potential for patients with treatment‑resistant disease.
Why it matters: Patients with chemo‑ and immunotherapy‑resistant head‑neck and lung cancers gain a fast‑acting, subcutaneous therapy that eliminates tumors, while clinicians gain a new option that reduces the need for IV infusions and clinic time.
