A new cancer jab has shown unprecedented results in a clinical trial, eradicating tumours in some patients whose disease had become resistant to other treatments. The drug, amivantamab, was tested on 102 patients with head and neck cancer across 11 countries, with tumours shrinking or disappearing in 43 patients, including 15 where they vanished entirely.
Professor Kevin Harrington of the Institute of Cancer Research, London, described the results as 'unprecedentedly strong responses' in patients with limited options. The jab targets cancer through three mechanisms: blocking EGFR and MET pathways, and activating the immune system. It is given as a small injection under the skin, making it more convenient than intravenous treatments.
One patient, Carl Walsh, 56, from Birmingham, saw significant improvement after joining the trial at the Royal Marsden. He reported reduced swelling and pain, and a return to normal eating and speech. The drug is also being evaluated for lung, colorectal, brain and gastric cancers in about 60 ongoing trials.
