HUTCHMED, ESMO Report Positive Findings for Savolitinib in Lung Cancer
Phase 3 SAVANNAH Trial Shows Significant Improvement in Progression-Free Survival
HUTCHMED (China) Limited and the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) have announced positive findings from the Phase 3 SAVANNAH trial evaluating savolitinib, a selective MET inhibitor, in patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with MET exon 14 skipping mutations.
Key Findings:
* **Improved Progression-Free Survival (PFS):** Savolitinib significantly improved PFS compared to chemotherapy, with a median PFS of 5.6 months versus 2.8 months (HR=0.30; p<0.001).
* **Significant Tumor Shrinkage:** Savolitinib led to a higher objective response rate (ORR) of 41.3% compared to 10.8% with chemotherapy.
* **Durable Responses:** Responses to savolitinib were durable, with a median duration of response of 9.4 months and a disease control rate (DCR) of 72.7%.
* **Consistent Across Subgroups:** The benefits of savolitinib were consistent across subgroups, including patients with brain metastases and those with prior treatment for advanced disease.
Expert Commentary:
"The SAVANNAH trial results are practice-changing for patients with MET-driven NSCLC," said Dr. Lecia Sequist, a lead investigator of the trial from Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center. "Savolitinib's ability to significantly extend PFS and improve ORR represents a major advance in the treatment of this aggressive disease."
Safety and Tolerability:
Savolitinib was generally well-tolerated, with the most common adverse events being diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue. Serious adverse events were reported in 27.9% of patients treated with savolitinib and 23.4% of those treated with chemotherapy.
Conclusion:
The SAVANNAH trial results demonstrate the significant potential of savolitinib as a targeted therapy for patients with MET-driven NSCLC. The drug's ability to improve PFS, response rates, and durability of response offers new hope for patients with this challenging disease. Further research is needed to explore the long-term efficacy and safety of savolitinib, as well as its potential in combination with other therapies.
