Saed News: Results of an international clinical trial show that a new injectable drug called “Amivantamab” has been able to significantly shrink tumors in some patients with head and neck cancer, and in some cases even eliminate them completely.
According to SAEDNEWS, the study, conducted across 11 countries, included 102 patients with head and neck cancer whose disease had not responded to previous treatments or had recurred after therapy.
Based on the published results, 43 participants responded positively to the treatment. Among them, tumors in 28 patients were significantly reduced, and in 15 patients no trace of the tumor remained.
One notable aspect of the research is the speed of the drug’s effect, with treatment changes observed in some patients in less than one week after injection.
Researchers also reported that patients who received the drug survived on average one year after starting treatment, which is considered encouraging given the severity of their condition.
Amivantamab, developed by Johnson & Johnson, is currently being studied in dozens of clinical trials for various cancers, including lung, colorectal, brain, and stomach cancers.
The drug fights cancer through three mechanisms: it blocks epidermal growth factor receptors involved in tumor growth, targets the MET pathway used by cancer cells to resist treatment, and activates the immune system to detect and attack cancer cells.
Carl Walsh, a 56-year-old participant diagnosed with tongue cancer, reported significant improvement after joining one of the early trials, saying that swelling and pain decreased considerably and he was able to return to a more normal life.
Professor Kevin Harrington, a professor of biological cancer therapies at the Institute of Cancer Research, described the results as “unprecedented,” noting that such strong responses in patients resistant to chemotherapy and immunotherapy are highly promising.
Researchers say that if these findings are confirmed in later stages, this treatment could potentially help thousands of patients with advanced cancers in the future.
