In this article, Johnson & Johnson announced on Tuesday that its lung cancer treatment extends survival by at least a year compared to AstraZeneca’s Tagrisso, the primary drug for a specific type of lung cancer. J&J stated that its medications, Rybrevant and Lazcluze, demonstrated a significant improvement in survival compared to Tagrisso in a crucial trial. The company anticipates the survival benefit to be a minimum of one year, with the possibility of it being longer, as per J&J executives during an interview. The full results will be presented at a medical conference later this year.
Biljana Naumovic, President of U.S. Oncology Solid Tumor at Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, described the findings as a significant development, stating that people were seeking an overall survival distinction. J&J aims to replace AstraZeneca’s successful Tagrisso, a daily pill that has revolutionized the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer with EGFR mutations, increasing median survival to approximately three years. These genetic mutations lead to the uncontrolled growth of cancer cells and are responsible for 10% to 15% of lung cancer cases in the U.S., according to the American Lung Association.
J&J executives view the results as a game-changer that could revolutionize the treatment of this form of lung cancer. However, Dr. Stephen Liu, Director of Thoracic Oncology and Head of Developmental Therapeutics at Georgetown University’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, cautioned that not all doctors and patients may switch to using Rybrevant and Lazcluze due to the regimen’s increased side effects and the need for regular infusions. Liu believes that the announcement of improved survival rates will prompt a closer examination of the treatment.
He emphasized the importance of identifying which patients benefit the most to provide more aggressive treatment while avoiding unnecessary treatment for those less likely to respond. Side effects of Rybrevant and Lazcluze may include skin rash and nail splitting. Similar to Tagrisso, J&J’s treatment blocks the EGFR protein to inhibit cancer cell growth and also targets MET, a pathway commonly used by cancer to resist drugs.
J&J projects that annual sales of Rybrevant and Lazcluze could exceed $5 billion, while AstraZeneca’s Tagrisso generated around $6 billion in sales in 2023.
