New Delhi: For nearly a decade, pembrolizumab, known as Keytruda, has been a leading cancer immunotherapy, extending the lives of many lung cancer patients. With a high cost of approximately ₹2 lakh per vial in India and treatment cycles potentially reaching ₹50 lakh, Keytruda has generated significant revenue globally.
However, a new experimental drug, ivonescimab, has emerged as a strong contender, outperforming Keytruda in the HARMONi-2 clinical trial. Results presented at the World Conference on Lung Cancer indicated that ivonescimab significantly extended median progression-free survival for patients with advanced lung cancer, reducing the risk of tumor progression by 49%. Patients treated with ivonescimab experienced tumor growth after 11.1 months, compared to 5.8 months for those on Keytruda.
As reported by theprint.in, developed by Chinese biotech firm Akeso in partnership with Summit Therapeutics, ivonescimab is a bispecific antibody that targets both PD-1 and VEGF, a protein that promotes tumor growth. This dual-target approach may offer enhanced efficacy compared to Keytruda’s single-target mechanism.
Despite these promising results, experts caution that the trial was limited to about 400 patients in China. They emphasize the need for larger, more diverse global trials to validate the findings and assess overall survival rates, which remain the ultimate goal for cancer therapies.
While ivonescimab shows potential, oncologists urge careful consideration before labeling it a breakthrough therapy, as further data is needed to confirm its effectiveness across different populations.