J&J's Rybrevant-Lazcluze Combination Shows Promising Survival Rates in Lung Cancer Trial

2025-03-27 digitalcare

New Brunswick, Thursday, 27 March 2025.
Johnson & Johnson’s Rybrevant-Lazcluze combination significantly extends survival for EGFR-mutated lung cancer, reducing death risk by 25% compared to AstraZeneca’s Tagrisso, offering hope in cancer treatment advancements.

Breakthrough Results in Overall Survival

In groundbreaking data presented at the European Lung Cancer Congress on March 26, 2025, the combination therapy demonstrated remarkable efficacy. After 37.8 months of median follow-up, 56% of patients receiving Rybrevant (amivantamab) plus Lazcluze (lazertinib) were alive, compared to 44% of those treated with Tagrisso (osimertinib) [1][2]. The median overall survival for patients on Tagrisso was 36.7 months, while the Rybrevant-Lazcluze combination’s median survival has not yet been reached, with projections suggesting an improvement of at least 12 months [3].

Clinical Benefits Across Patient Groups

The combination therapy showed consistent benefits across various patient subgroups, including smokers and non-smokers, as well as those with or without brain metastases [1]. Moreover, the treatment extended the time to symptomatic progression by more than 14 months compared to Tagrisso (43.6 months vs 29.3 months) [2]. Professor Nicolas Girard, Head of Medical Oncology at Institut Curie, emphasized that ‘the survival curve tells a clear story’ with benefits that continue to grow over time [3].

Safety Profile and Future Developments

While demonstrating impressive efficacy, researchers are actively addressing the treatment’s safety profile. The COCOON trial, which reported results in January 2025, showed that a prophylactic regimen could significantly reduce dermatologic adverse events [1]. Johnson & Johnson is also developing a subcutaneous version of Rybrevant to enhance patient experience, though FDA approval is pending following manufacturing concerns in December 2024 [1].

Market Impact and Future Outlook

The treatment’s success could reshape the landscape of EGFR-mutated lung cancer therapy. With current five-year survival rates below 20% for patients with EGFR-positive NSCLC [5], these results represent a significant advancement. J&J plans to begin reporting separate sales figures for Rybrevant in its first-quarter 2025 results [6], positioning the combination therapy to potentially challenge Tagrisso’s market position, which generated $6.6 billion in sales in 2024 [6].

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