Cancer injection shows promise in advanced head and neck cancer trial

A cancer treatment delivered through a simple injection eliminated tumours in some patients and significantly shrank them in others during an international clinical trial involving people with advanced head and neck cancer, researchers said.

The study evaluated amivantamab, a drug developed by Johnson & Johnson, in 102 patients across 11 countries whose cancers had become resistant to both chemotherapy and immunotherapy, says the Guardian.

Researchers said the treatment completely eradicated tumours in 15 patients. Overall, 43 patients experienced either complete tumour disappearance or substantial tumour shrinkage.

Patients who received the treatment lived for a median of 12.5 months, researchers said, describing the result as a meaningful advance for a group of patients with limited treatment options and generally poor outcomes.

The trial focused on head and neck cancers not linked to the human papillomavirus (HPV), a form of the disease that is typically more difficult to treat than HPV-associated cancers.

Amivantamab targets cancer through three mechanisms. It blocks EGFR, a protein that can drive tumour growth, and MET, a pathway that cancer cells may use to develop resistance to treatment. The drug also helps stimulate the immune system to attack cancer cells.

Unlike many cancer therapies that require intravenous administration in a hospital, amivantamab is delivered through a small injection under the skin once every three weeks, allowing treatment to be given in an outpatient setting.

Researchers said side effects were generally mild to moderate, with fewer than 10% of patients stopping treatment because of adverse effects.

One participant in the trial, Carl Walsh, experienced improvements after previous treatments failed, researchers said. According to the study team, reductions in pain and swelling allowed him to return to a normal diet and regain his ability to speak after six months of treatment.

The findings add to evidence from other studies involving the drug. Researchers said similar positive results had been observed among lung cancer patients.

Amivantamab is currently being evaluated in about 60 clinical trials for a range of diseases, including colorectal, brain and gastric cancers.

Researchers said the latest results suggest the treatment could eventually benefit thousands of patients each year if future studies confirm its effectiveness.