Press Release
Sep 10, 2019
Barcelona—Patients with Stage IV squamous non-small cell lung cancer enrolled in clinical trial to test the immunotherapy atezolizumab and chemotherapy against chemotherapy alone experienced a longer survival rate, among a subgroup of patients with high PD-LI.
The data for the IMpower131 Trial was presented today by Dr. F. Cappuzzo, from Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale della Romagna, Ravenna/Italy at the IASLC 2019 World Conference on Lung Cancer, hosted by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer.
IMpower131 is a randomized Phase III trial of atezolizumab + chemotherapy vs chemotherapy alone as first-line therapy in Stage IV squamous NSCLC, which is the most advanced form of the disease. The five year survival rate for those diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer is less than 10 percent.
The multi-center trial enrolled 1021 patients— the 343 patients in Arm B received atezolizumab + carboplatin + nab-paclitaxel 100 mg/m2 qw. There were 340 patients enrolled in Arm C who received carboplatin + nab-paclitaxel for four or six cycles followed by best supportive care.
The proportion of patients with high positive or negative PD-L1 expression was similar between arms. Median overall survival in the Intention to Treat population was 14.2 months in Arm B vs 13.5 months in Arm C not crossing the boundary for statistical significance. In the PD-L1–high subgroup, median overall survival was 23.4 vs 10.2 months, respectively. Treatment-related Grade 3-4 AEs and treatment-related adverse effects occurred in 68.0% and 21.0% (Arm B) and 57.5% and 10.5% (Arm C) of patients; no new safety signals were identified, consistent with previous analyses.
Final overall survival in Arm B vs C did not cross the boundary for statistical significance but clinically meaningful overall survival improvement was observed in the PD-L1–high subgroup, despite not being formally tested.
“The study provides additional evidence on the efficacy of immunotherapy in patients with lung cancer. The strong benefit observed in high PD-L1 expressors highlights relevance of biomarkers for patient selection,” Dr. Cappuzzo said.
About the WCLC:
The WCLC is the world’s largest meeting dedicated to lung cancer and other thoracic malignancies, attracting more than 7,000 researchers, physicians and specialists from more than 100 countries. The
goal is to increase awareness, collaboration and understanding of lung cancer, and to help participants implement the latest developments across the globe. The conference will cover a wide range of disciplines and unveil several research studies and clinical trial results. For more information, visit wclc2019.iaslc.org.
About the IASLC:
The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) is the only global organization dedicated solely to the study of lung cancer and other thoracic malignancies. Founded in 1974, the association's membership includes more than 7,500 lung cancer specialists across all disciplines in over 100 countries, forming a global network working together to conquer lung and thoracic cancers worldwide. The association also publishes the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, the primary educational and informational publication for topics relevant to the prevention, detection, diagnosis and treatment of all thoracic malignancies. Visit www.iaslc.org for more information.