The
international study involved 102 patients from 11 countries with head and neck
cancer. The program included patients with metastatic or recurrent disease, in
whom standard treatment methods - chemotherapy and immunotherapy - proved
ineffective.
It is
separately noted that the study did not include patients with squamous cell
carcinoma of the oropharynx caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). According
to experts, it is precisely these forms of cancer that are usually less
treatable, which makes the results especially significant for science.
The drug
Amivantamab, developed by Johnson & Johnson, affects tumor cells in three
ways at once: it blocks the EGFR protein, suppresses the MET signaling pathway
and activates the patient's immune system.
The vaccine
is administered subcutaneously once every three weeks, which makes treatment
more convenient for patients. Currently, the drug is undergoing about 60
clinical trials, including for lung, intestinal, brain and stomach cancers.
According
to the results of the tests, 43 out of 102 patients showed a decrease or disappearance
of tumors: in 28 people, the neoplasms decreased, and in 15, they completely
disappeared. Positive dynamics was observed several weeks after the start of
therapy.
The average
life expectancy of the patients was 12.5 months, despite the severe prognosis.
Side effects were mild or moderate in most cases, and less than 10% of the
participants stopped treatment.
Professor
Kevin Harrington of the Institute of Cancer Research in London called the
results of the study "an unprecedentedly strong response" in patients
with extremely limited treatment options.
According
to experts, the data obtained can be an important step in the development of
new cancer treatment methods.
