Innovating the first-line treatment pattern for gastric cancer BMS, Merck, Baekje and other companies are developing in China

Source: Guanlan Pharmaceutical

On April 19, Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) announced that its blockbuster PD-1 inhibitor Opdivo (nivolumab) has become the world's first first-line immunotherapy drug for gastric cancer approved by regulatory agencies.

In the past few decades, chemotherapy has been the first-line treatment for most patients with advanced gastric cancer.

BMS: Chinese subgroup results of first-line treatment for gastric cancer have been announced

Opdivo (Navulimab) developed by BMS is a monoclonal antibody that targets PD-1.

It is worth mentioning that the pivotal phase 3 study CheckMate-649, which supports the FDA's approval of Opdivo as the first-line treatment of gastric cancer, has also recently announced the results of the Chinese subgroup.

Merck: Phase 3 clinical trials for HER2-negative gastric cancer are underway

Keytruda (Pembrolizumab) is a blockbuster PD-1 inhibitor developed by Merck.

Currently, Merck has launched a randomized, double-blind, global phase 3 clinical trial of KEYNOTE-859 to test the efficacy of Keytruda in combination with chemotherapy in the first-line treatment of patients with HER2-negative advanced gastric cancer.

BeiGene: Initiated key clinical trials of HER2 dual-antibody in the middle of the year

ZW25 (zanidatamab) is a bispecific antibody targeting HER2 that BeiGene introduced from Zymeworks in 2018 for more than US$400 million.

On ASCO-GI in January this year, Zymeworks announced that zanidatamab as a single agent or combined with chemotherapy has achieved positive results in the phase 1 clinical treatment of patients with treated gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma.

Zai Lab: Initiated Phase 3 Key Study of FGFR2b Monoclonal Anti-Gastric Cancer This Year

Recently, bemarituzumab, which has been recognized as a breakthrough therapy by the FDA, is a potential "first-in-class" FGFR2b monoclonal antibody developed by Five Prime Therapeutics.

Previously, bemarituzumab has been combined with chemotherapy in a phase 2 clinical trial for the first-line treatment of patients with advanced gastric cancer or gastroesophageal junction cancer.

Astellas: CLDN 18.

According to the ClinicalTrials.

summary

Stomach cancer is a common cancer worldwide and an important cause of cancer death.

Judging from the current global pipeline of first-line treatments for gastric cancer, in addition to PD-1 inhibitors, candidate products such as bispecific antibodies targeting HER2, FGFR2b monoclonal antibodies, and CLDN 18.

With the approval of Opdivo in the United States, more gastric cancer patients will benefit from innovative therapies in the first-line treatment.