On October 19, 2025 Antengene Corporation Limited ("Antengene", SEHK: 6996.HK), a leading innovative, commercial-stage global biotech company dedicated to discovering, developing and commercializing first-in-class and/or best-in-class medicines for hematologic malignancies and solid tumors, reported that the latest results from the ongoing Phase I/II CLINCH study of ATG-022 (CLDN18.2 antibody-drug conjugate [ADC]), were presented in a Poster Presentation at the European Society for Medical Oncology Congress 2025 (ESMO 2025) in Berlin, Germany.

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Details of the Poster Presentation:
ATG-022 (CLDN18.2 antibody-drug conjugate)
Title: Phase I/II study of Claudin 18.2 ADC ATG-022 in patients with advanced gastric/ gastroesophageal junction cancer (CLINCH)
Abstract Number: 2907
Presentation Number: 2113P

ATG-022 and CLINCH Study Overview

ATG-022 is a CLDN18.2-targeted ADC with sub-nM affinity and fast internalization. Using a VC-MMAE linker-payload (DAR 4), ATG-022 has demonstrated potent activity across tumors with high, low, and ultra-low CLDN18.2 expression.
The ongoing Phase I/II CLINCH study consists of dose escalation and dose expansion phases. In dose escalation, patients with advanced solid tumors regardless of CLDN18.2 expression receive ATG-022 once every three weeks (0.3-3.0 mg/kg Q3W) to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics; CLDN18.2-positive (≥ IHC 1+, 1%) patients are treated at 1.8 mg/kg or 2.4 mg/kg in dose expansion to evaluate the efficacy and safety.
ATG-022 has been granted two Orphan Drug designations (ODDs) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of gastric cancer and pancreatic cancer, and in August 2025 obtained Breakthrough Therapy Designation from China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for treating CLDN18.2-positive, HER-2 negative unresectable or metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma (GC/GEJC) who have received at least two prior lines of therapy.
Key Results from the CLINCH Study

Efficacy Data
Among GC/GEJC patients with moderate/high CLDN18.2 expression (IHC 2+ > 20%), the 2.4 mg/kg dose cohort observed 1 complete response (CR), 11 partial responses (PRs) and 15 stable diseases (SDs), resulting in an objective response rate (ORR) of 40% (12/30) and a disease control rate (DCR) of 90% (27/30). The median progression-free survival (mPFS) was 6.97 months and the 12-month overall survival (OS) rate was 66.2%. In the 1.8 mg/kg dose cohort, there were 1 CR, 9 PRs, and 11 SDs, resulting in an ORR of 40% (10/25) and a DCR of 84% (21/25).
Among GC/GEJC patients with low/ultra low CLDN18.2 expression (IHC 2+ ≤ 20%), patients treated at the efficacious dose of 1.8-2.4 mg/kg achieved 1 CR and 5 PRs, resulting in an ORR of 33.3% (6/18) and a DCR of 50% (9/18). The patient with CR has demonstrated durable response and has been on the study for over 22 months.
To date, the study has observed three CRs, one from each of the three forementioned cohorts (two dose cohorts among CLDN18.2 mid/high expressors and the cohort of low/ultra low CLDN18.2 expressors). This broad-spectrum antitumor activity indicates ATG-022’s potential as a new treatment option for a broader population of patients).
Safety Data
At 2.4 mg/kg in the dose expansion, 45.8% of patients had ≥1 treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs), 60.4% of patients had grade ≥3 TEAEs. The most common grade ≥3 treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs, ≥5% of patients) were neutrophil count decrease (16.7%), decreased appetite (14.6%) and anaemia (8.3%).
In the dose-expansion phase, the 1.8 mg/kg cohort demonstrated excellent safety and tolerability, with only 13.6% of patients reporting serious TEAEs and 18.2% reporting Grade ≥3 TEAEs. The favorable safety profile of this dose level support its potential use in first-line combination regimens with chemotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors.
No ophthalmological toxicities or interstitial lung disease have been observed.
Conclusions and Outlook

ATG-022 demonstrated a manageable safety profile and encouraging antitumor effects in GC/GEJC adenocarcinoma patients with a broad range of CLDN18.2 expressions, thus supporting further clinical investigation in patients with variable CLDN18.2 expressions. In addition to GC/GEJC, preliminary efficacy has been observed in other non-GI tumor types which will be reported at upcoming conferences.
The 2.4 mg/kg cohort showed a favorable safety profile, while the 1.8 mg/kg cohort demonstrated even better safety and tolerability. These findings provide strong support for advancing ATG-022 in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors and chemotherapy in first-line treatment settings, paving the way to significantly expand its clinical reach and commercial potential.
The Phase II dose expansion study of ATG-022 is going smoothly in China and Australia. In parallel, Antengene is actively preparing for combination therapy studies involving ATG-022 to further advance its clinical development.

(Press release, Antengene, OCT 19, 2025, View Source [SID1234656789])

On October 19, 2025 Sichuan Kelun-Biotech Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (the "Company") reported that at the 2025 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Congress held in Berlin, Germany, results from a Phase 3 OptiTROP-Lung04 trial of the Company’s trophoblast cell-surface antigen 2 (TROP2)-directed antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) sacituzumab tirumotecan (sac-TMT) in EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) following progression on epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) was presented as an oral report by Professor Li Zhang from Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center (Presentation # LBA5, Presidential Symposium II) and were simultaneously published in the New England Journal of Medicine (Impact Factor = 78.5).

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In the OptiTROP-Lung04 trial, a total of 376 patients were randomized (1:1) to receive sac-TMT monotherapy or chemotherapy.

As at the data cut-off date July 06, 2025, the median follow-up is 18.9 months. the median Progression-Free Survival (PFS) was 8.3 months in the sac-TMT group and 4.3 months in the chemotherapy group. Sac-TMT significantly improved PFS over chemotherapy with 51% lower risk of disease progression or death (hazard ratio (HR) 0.49; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.39-0.62; P<0.0001).

At the preplanned interim analysis of overall survival (OS), the OS was not reached (NR) in the sac-TMT group and 17.4 months in the chemotherapy group. sac-TMT significantly improved OS over chemotherapy with 40% lower risk of death (hazard ratio (HR) 0.6; 95% CI: 0.44-0.82; two-sided P=0.001). In the supplemental analysis, when censoring patients at the date of initiation of subsequent ADCs, sac-TMT significantly improved OS over chemotherapy with 44% lower risk of death (HR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.41 – 0.77).

Sac-TMT significantly improved ORR as compared to chemotherapy (60.6% vs 43.1%)

A consistent PFS and OS benefit of sac-TMT over chemotherapy was observed across all predefined subgroups, including prior EGFR-TKI therapy, presence of liver or brain metastases, and EGFR mutation subtype.

The incidence of any grade treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) and grade ≥3 TRAEs was similar between the two groups. The most common TRAEs for both sac-TMT and chemotherapy were hematologic toxicities. No TRAEs led to discontinuation or death, and no cases of interstitial lung disease/pneumonitis were reported in the sac-TMT group. Ocular surface toxicity: occurred in 9.6% of patients in the sac-TMT group, all of which were grade 1 – 2.

As a conclusion, sac-TMT demonstrates highly statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in PFS and OS compared to platinum-based chemotherapy and showed a manageable safety profile, with no unexpected safety signals identified. Several global phase 3 studies of sac-TMT monotherapy (NCT06305754, NCT06074588) and combination study with osimertinib in China (NCT06670196) in EGFR-mutant NSCLC are ongoing.

Professor Zhang Li, National Lead Principal Investigator from Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, commented: "Compared to platinum-based doublet chemotherapy, sac-TMT not only significantly prolonged PFS but also demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in OS within this patient population. This achievement marks a major breakthrough in global lung cancer treatment—sac-TMT, as a monotherapy, demonstrated statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in both PFS and OS in the Phase III trial for patients with EGFR-TKI-resistant NSCLC. This study provides highly valuable, new evidence-based guidance for lung cancer management worldwide and has the potential to reshape the therapeutic landscape for EGFR-TKI-resistant NSCLC "

About sac-TMT

Sac-TMT, a core product of the Company, is a novel human TROP2 ADC in which the Company has proprietary intellectual property rights, targeting advanced solid tumors such as NSCLC, BC, GC, gynecological tumors, among others. Sac-TMT is developed with a novel linker to conjugate the payload, a belotecan-derivative topoisomerase I inhibitor with a drug-to-antibody-ratio (DAR) of 7.4. Sac-TMT specifically recognizes TROP2 on the surface of tumor cells by recombinant anti-TROP2 humanized monoclonal antibodies, which is then endocytosed by tumor cells and releases the payload KL610023 intracellularly. KL610023, as a topoisomerase I inhibitor, induces DNA damage to tumor cells, which in turn leads to cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis. In addition, it also releases KL610023 in the tumor microenvironment. Given that KL610023 is membrane permeable, it can enable a bystander effect, or in other words kill adjacent tumor cells.

In May 2022, the Company licensed the exclusive rights to MSD (the tradename of Merck & Co., Inc, Rahway, NJ, USA) to develop, use, manufacture and commercialize sac-TMT in all territories outside of Greater China (which includes Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan).

To date, three indications for sac-TMT have been approved and marketed in China for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) who have received at least two prior systemic therapies (at least one of them for advanced or metastatic setting), EGFR mutation-positive locally advanced or metastatic non-squamous NSCLC following progression on EGFR-TKI therapy and platinum-based chemotherapy and EGFR mutant-positive locally advanced or metastatic non-squamous NSCLC who progressed after treatment with EGFR-TKI therapy. Sac-TMT is the first TROP2 ADC drug approved for marketing in lung cancer globally. In addition, the new indication applications for sac-TMT for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable locally advanced, metastatic HR+/HER2- BC who have received prior endocrine therapy and other systemic treatments in the advanced or metastatic setting was accepted by the Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) of the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), and was included in the priority review and approval process.

As of today, the Company has initiated 9 registrational clinical studies in China. MSD has initiated 15 ongoing Phase 3 global clinical studies of sac-TMT as a monotherapy or with pembrolizumab or other anti-cancer agents for several types of cancer. These studies are sponsored and led by MSD.

(Press release, Kelun, OCT 19, 2025, View Source [SID1234656788])

On October 19, 2025 Genentech, a member of the Roche Group (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY), reported positive results from the Phase III IMvigor011 study evaluating Tecentriq (atezolizumab) as an adjuvant treatment for people with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) who are at risk of recurrence after surgery (cystectomy) and have detectable circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). In this ctDNA-guided setting, Tecentriq reduced the risk of death (overall survival, OS) by 41% and the risk of disease recurrence or death (disease-free survival, DFS) by 36%, both compared with placebo. This ctDNA-guided approach, using Natera’s SignateraTM ctDNA Molecular Residual Disease (MRD) test, spared people at low risk of recurrence from unnecessary treatment and side effects. The safety profile was consistent with previous studies of Tecentriq.

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These results are being presented as part of the Presidential Symposium at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Congress 2025. They will also be discussed with health authorities, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

"These clinically meaningful results show that Tecentriq helped people with muscle-invasive bladder cancer live longer and without their disease returning," said Levi Garraway, M.D., Ph.D., chief medical officer and head of Global Product Development. "The use of serial ctDNA testing to detect molecular residual disease may also advance bladder cancer treatment by combining a precision diagnostic with cancer immunotherapy."

"Even after surgery, most people with muscle-invasive bladder cancer will face the physical and emotional toll of further treatment," said Thomas Powles, lead principal investigator of IMvigor011, professor of genitourinary oncology; chair of Barts Cancer Centre at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital. "These results indicate that with Signatera ctDNA testing, we may be able to identify those at risk of recurrence who could benefit from adjuvant atezolizumab treatment and spare others from unnecessary therapy, paving the way for a more personalized treatment approach."

At median follow up of 16.1 months, median DFS was 9.9 months in the Tecentriq arm versus 4.8 months in the placebo arm (stratified hazard ratio [HR]=0.64; 95% CI: 0.47-0.87, p=0.0047). Median OS was 32.8 months in the Tecentriq arm versus 21.1 months in the placebo arm (HR=0.59; 95% CI: 0.39-0.90, p=0.0131). People who persistently tested for no detectable ctDNA had low risk of recurrence.

More than 150,000 people worldwide are diagnosed with MIBC each year. It is an aggressive type of cancer, with poor long-term outcomes and high treatment burden. Despite this, personalized treatment approaches lag behind other cancer types. ctDNA-guided treatment could change this, by helping healthcare professionals tailor treatment more precisely to improve clinical benefit and reduce unnecessary intervention.

About the IMvigor011 study
IMvigor011 [NCT04660344] is a global Phase III, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of adjuvant treatment with Tecentriq (atezolizumab) compared with placebo in participants with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) who are circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA)-positive and are at risk of recurrence following cystectomy. IMvigor011 utilized Natera’s Signatera as the clinical trial assay. This personalized ctDNA test for the detection of MRD is currently under review by the FDA for use as a companion diagnostic. 761 people participated in the surveillance phase of IMvigor011 and those with positive Signatera tests (250 people) joined the treatment phase, where they received either Tecentriq or placebo. The primary endpoint is investigator-assessed disease-free survival (DFS). Secondary endpoints include overall survival (OS) and tolerability, amongst others.

About Tecentriq (atezolizumab)

Tecentriq (atezolizumab) is a monoclonal antibody designed to bind with a protein called PD-L1, which is expressed on tumor cells and tumor-infiltrating immune cells, blocking its interactions with both PD-1 and B7.1 receptors. By inhibiting PD-L1, Tecentriq may enable the re-activation of T cells. Tecentriq may also affect normal cells.

What is Tecentriq?

Tecentriq is a prescription medicine used to treat:

Adults with a type of lung cancer called non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Tecentriq may be used alone as a treatment for your lung cancer:
to help prevent your lung cancer from coming back after your tumor(s) has been removed by surgery and you have received platinum-based chemotherapy, and
you have stage 2 to stage 3A NSCLC (talk to your healthcare provider about what these stages mean), and
your cancer tests positive for "PD-L1".
Tecentriq may be used alone as your first treatment when your lung cancer:
has spread or grown, and
your cancer tests positive for "high PD-L1", and
your tumor does not have an abnormal "EGFR" or "ALK" gene.
Tecentriq may be used with the medicines bevacizumab, paclitaxel, and carboplatin as your first treatment when your lung cancer:
has spread or grown, and
is a type called "non-squamous NSCLC", and
your tumor does not have an abnormal "EGFR" or "ALK" gene.

Tecentriq may be used with the medicines paclitaxel protein-bound and carboplatin as your first treatment when your lung cancer:
has spread or grown, and
is a type called "non-squamous NSCLC", and
your tumor does not have an abnormal "EGFR" or "ALK" gene.

Tecentriq may be used alone when your lung cancer:

(Press release, Genentech, OCT 19, 2025, View Source [SID1234656787])
has spread or grown, and
you have tried chemotherapy that contains platinum, and it did not work or is no longer working.
If your tumor has an abnormal "EGFR" or "ALK" gene, you should have also tried an FDA-approved therapy for tumors with these abnormal genes, and it did not work or is no longer working.

Adults with a type of lung cancer called "extensive stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC)", which is SCLC that has spread or grown

Tecentriq may be used with the chemotherapy medicines carboplatin and etoposide as your first treatment
Tecentriq may be used with the medicine lurbinectedin as maintenance treatment when your lung cancer:
has not progressed after first treatment with Tecentriq or atezolizumab and hyaluronidase-tqjs and the chemotherapy medicines carboplatin and etoposide.

Adults with a type of liver cancer called hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Tecentriq may be used with the medicine bevacizumab when your liver cancer:

has spread or cannot be removed by surgery, and
you have not received other medicines by mouth or injection through your vein (IV) to treat your cancer.

Adults with a type of skin cancer called melanoma. Tecentriq may be used with the medicines cobimetinib and vemurafenib when your melanoma:

has spread to other parts of the body or cannot be removed by surgery, and
has a certain type of abnormal "BRAF" gene. Your healthcare provider will perform a test to make sure this Tecentriq combination is right for you.

Adults and children 2 years of age and older with a type of soft tissue tumor (cancer) called alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS). Tecentriq may be used when your sarcoma:

has spread to other parts of the body or cannot be removed by surgery.

It is not known if Tecentriq is safe and effective when used:

in children younger than 2 years of age for the treatment of ASPS.
in children for the treatment of NSCLC, SCLC, HCC or melanoma.

Important Safety Information

What is the most important information about Tecentriq?

Tecentriq can cause your immune system to attack normal organs and tissues in any area of your body and can affect the way they work. These problems can sometimes become severe or life-threatening and can lead to death. You can have more than one of these problems at the same time. These problems may happen anytime during your treatment or even after your treatment has ended.

Call or see your healthcare provider right away if you develop any new or worse signs or symptoms, including:

Lung problems

cough
shortness of breath
chest pain
Intestinal problems

diarrhea (loose stools) or more frequent bowel movements than usual
stools that are black, tarry, sticky, or have blood or mucus
severe stomach-area (abdomen) pain or tenderness
Liver problems

yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes
severe nausea or vomiting
pain on the right side of your stomach area (abdomen)
dark urine (tea colored)
bleeding or bruising more easily than normal
Hormone gland problems
headaches that will not go away or unusual headaches
eye sensitivity to light
eye problems
rapid heartbeat
increased sweating
extreme tiredness
weight gain or weight loss
feeling more hungry or thirsty than usual
urinating more often than usual
hair loss
feeling cold
constipation
your voice gets deeper
dizziness or fainting
changes in mood or behavior, such as decreased sex drive, irritability, or forgetfulness
Kidney problems

decrease in your amount of urine
blood in your urine
swelling of your ankles
loss of appetite
Skin problems

rash
itching
skin blistering or peeling
painful sores or ulcers in mouth or nose, throat, or genital area
fever or flu-like symptoms
swollen lymph nodes

Problems can also happen in other organs.

These are not all of the signs and symptoms of immune system problems that can happen with Tecentriq. Call or see your healthcare provider right away for any new or worse signs or symptoms, including:

Chest pain, irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath, or swelling of ankles
Confusion, sleepiness, memory problems, changes in mood or behavior, stiff neck, balance problems, tingling or numbness of the arms or legs
Double vision, blurry vision, sensitivity to light, eye pain, changes in eyesight
Persistent or severe muscle pain or weakness, muscle cramps
Low red blood cells, bruising

Infusion reactions that can sometimes be severe or life-threatening. Signs and symptoms of infusion reactions may include:

chills or shaking
itching or rash
flushing
shortness of breath or wheezing
dizziness
feeling like passing out
fever
back or neck pain

Complications, including graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), in people who have received a bone marrow (stem cell) transplant that uses donor stem cells (allogeneic). These complications can be serious and can lead to death. These complications may happen if you underwent transplantation either before or after being treated with Tecentriq. Your healthcare provider will monitor you for these complications.

Getting medical treatment right away may help keep these problems from becoming more serious. Your healthcare provider will check you for these problems during your treatment with Tecentriq. Your healthcare provider may treat you with corticosteroid or hormone replacement medicines. Your healthcare provider may also need to delay or completely stop treatment with Tecentriq if you have severe side effects.

Before you receive Tecentriq, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

have immune system problems such as Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, or lupus
have received an organ transplant
have received or plan to receive a stem cell transplant that uses donor stem cells (allogeneic)
have received radiation treatment to your chest area
have a condition that affects your nervous system, such as myasthenia gravis or Guillain-Barré syndrome
are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Tecentriq can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you become pregnant or think you may be pregnant during treatment with Tecentriq. Females who are able to become pregnant:
Your healthcare provider should do a pregnancy test before you start treatment with Tecentriq.
You should use an effective method of birth control during your treatment and for at least 5 months after the last dose of Tecentriq.
are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if Tecentriq passes into your breast milk. Do not breastfeed during treatment and for at least 5 months after the last dose of Tecentriq.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

The most common side effects of Tecentriq when used alone include:

Feeling tired or weak
decreased appetite
nausea
cough
shortness of breath

The most common side effects of Tecentriq when used in lung cancer with other anti-cancer medicines include:

feeling tired or weak
nausea
hair loss
constipation
diarrhea
decreased appetite

The most common side effects of Tecentriq when used in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with bevacizumab include:

high blood pressure
feeling tired or weak
too much protein in the urine

The most common side effects of Tecentriq when used in melanoma with cobimetinib and vemurafenib include:

skin rash
joint, muscle, or bone pain
feeling tired or weak
liver injury
fever
nausea
itching
swelling of legs or arms
mouth swelling (sometimes with sores)
low thyroid hormone levels
sunburn or sun sensitivity

Tecentriq may cause fertility problems in females, which may affect the ability to have children. Talk to your healthcare provider if you have concerns about fertility.

These are not all the possible side effects of Tecentriq. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for more information about the benefits and side effects of Tecentriq.

You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. You may also report side effects to Genentech at 1-888-835-2555.

Please see full Prescribing Information and Medication Guide for additional Important Safety Information.

(Press release, Genentech, OCT 19, 2025, View Source [SID1234656787])

On October 19, 2025 Verastem Oncology (Nasdaq: VSTM), a biopharmaceutical company committed to advancing new medicines for patients with RAS/MAPK-pathway-driven cancers, reported positive, updated efficacy and safety data from partner GenFleet Therapeutics’ Phase 1/2 monotherapy study in China of GFH375, an oral KRAS G12D (ON/OFF) inhibitor (VS-7375 outside of China) for patients with KRAS G12D mutant advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Among 59 heavily pre-treated patients with advanced disease, who received two or more prior lines of therapy, an overall response rate (ORR) of 41% was achieved at the monotherapy recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D) of 600 mg daily (QD). The updated data were featured in a late-breaking abstract for oral presentation by GenFleet Therapeutics at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Congress 2025 on October 19, 2025, in Berlin, Germany.

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"Patients with advanced pancreatic cancer and a KRAS G12D mutation tend to have a worse prognosis compared to other KRAS mutations. We are pleased to see that the updated data presented by our partner, GenFleet Therapeutics, continues to demonstrate encouraging clinical responses at the recommended Phase 2 dose, in a heavily pre-treated, often difficult to treat, patient population," said Dan Paterson, president and chief executive officer of Verastem Oncology. "These data add to the growing body of evidence supporting the therapeutic potential of KRAS G12D inhibition and importantly provide valuable insights as we continue to advance through our Phase 1/2a trial with VS-7375."

ESMO 2025 Presentation Highlights

GenFleet reported that 66 patients with advanced KRAS G12D mutant PDAC were treated with 600 mg QD of GFH375 monotherapy. In the study, 95.5% of patients were diagnosed with stage IV disease at study entry, and 68.2% of patients had received at least two prior lines of anticancer therapies, with 92.4% of patients receiving gemcitabine-based regimens and more than 50% receiving fluorouracil or irinotecan-containing regimens. As of the data cutoff of September 27, 2025, 59 efficacy-evaluable patients had at least one post-treatment tumor assessment and achieved an ORR of 40.7% (24/59) (confirmed and unconfirmed) and a disease control rate (DCR) of 96.7% (57/59) with the majority of patients (91.5%) experiencing a reduction in target lesions. Overall survival (OS) observed at month four was 92.2%. The median OS was not reached as of the data cutoff, with a median follow-up time of 5.65 months. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 5.52 months with a median follow-up time of 5.65 months and a 4-month PFS rate of 78.2%. At evaluation, 31 (47%) of patients were still on treatment with the longest duration of treatment eclipsing one year (367 days).

The safety profile in PDAC patients was consistent with the previously reported data at recent medical congresses. As of the data cutoff date of August 27, 2025, the most frequent treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) occurring in ≥20% of patients included diarrhea, neutrophil count decreased, vomiting, nausea, anemia, white blood cell count decreased, decreased appetite, hypoalbuminemia, platelet count decreased, asthenia, aspartate aminotransferase increased, and alanine transferase increased. Grade 3 TRAEs occurred in 20 patients (30.3%) and a Grade 4 TRAE (neutropenia) occurred in one patient (1.5%). Of the 66 patients in the safety population, four patients (6.1%) had a dose reduction and two patients (3%) discontinued due to TRAEs. No TRAE-related deaths were reported. The mean relative dose intensity was 93%.

About KRAS G12D

KRAS G12D represents 26% of all KRAS mutations, making it the most prevalent KRAS mutation in human cancers. The KRAS G12D mutation occurs most commonly in pancreatic (37%), colorectal (12.5%), endometrial (8%), and non-small cell lung (5%) cancers. Currently, no therapies are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) specifically targeting KRAS G12D mutations in cancer.

About VS-7375, an Oral KRAS G12D (ON/OFF) Inhibitor

VS-7375 is a potential best-in-class, potent, and selective oral KRAS G12D dual ON/OFF inhibitor. VS-7375 is the lead program from the Verastem Oncology discovery and development collaboration with GenFleet Therapeutics. Verastem announced in April 2025 that the U.S. Investigational New Drug (IND) application for VS-7375 was cleared and initiated a Phase 1/2a clinical trial in June 2025. GenFleet’s IND for VS-7375 (known as GFH375 in China) was approved in China in June 2024, and the first patient was dosed in a Phase 1/2 study in July 2024.

About the Phase 1/2a Study of VS-7375

The Phase 1/2a study will be conducted in the U.S., with the potential to expand globally, and will evaluate the safety and efficacy of VS-7375 in patients with advanced KRAS G12D mutant solid tumors. The starting dose for the Phase 1 study of 400 mg is based on the dose identified in the initial data from the GenFleet study to accelerate the trial’s progress. Verastem plans to dose escalate across levels where responses were observed in GenFleet’s study and will assess in the Phase 2a portion the efficacy and safety of VS-7375, both as monotherapy and in combination, in patients with advanced solid tumors, such as pancreatic, colorectal, and non-small cell lung cancers.

(Press release, Verastem, OCT 19, 2025, View Source [SID1234656786])

On October 19, 2025 Astrazeneca and Daiichi Sankyo reported positive results from the TROPION-Breast02 Phase III trial showed Datroway (datopotamab deruxtecan) demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement for the dual primary endpoints of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) compared to investigator’s choice of chemotherapy as 1st-line treatment for patients with locally recurrent inoperable or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) for whom immunotherapy was not an option.

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These late-breaking results will be presented today during a Proffered Paper session at the 2025 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Congress in Berlin, Germany (abstract #LBA21).

Datroway demonstrated a 5.0-month improvement in median OS compared to chemotherapy (hazard ratio [HR] 0.79; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.64-0.98; p=0.0291). Median OS was 23.7 months for patients treated with Datroway versus 18.7 months for those treated with chemotherapy.

Datroway reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 43% compared to chemotherapy (HR 0.57; 95% CI 0.47-0.69; p<0.0001) as assessed by blinded independent central review (BICR). Median PFS was 10.8 months for patients treated with Datroway versus 5.6 months for those treated with chemotherapy.

In addition to patients whose tumours did not express PD-L1, TROPION-Breast02 enrolled patients with PD-L1 expressing tumours for whom immunotherapy was not an option due to other factors.

Rebecca Dent, MD, FRCP, Professor and Deputy Chief Executive Officer, National Cancer Centre Singapore, and principal investigator for the trial, said: "In TROPION-Breast02, datopotamab deruxtecan meaningfully extended patients’ lives and nearly doubled their time without disease progression. These are significant outcomes for patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer who are not suitable candidates for immunotherapy, and remarkable results considering the trial included a subset of patients with highly aggressive disease who are often excluded from research in this setting."

Susan Galbraith, Executive Vice President, Oncology Haematology R&D, AstraZeneca, said: "The TROPION-Breast02 results show for the first time that these triple-negative breast cancer patients may have an alternative to chemotherapy in the 1st-line setting that can both delay the progression of their disease and prolong their lives. For Datroway to have so significantly improved patient outcomes in the 1st-line metastatic setting as monotherapy also gives us great confidence in its potential in combination with Imfinzi, and in the early-stage, potentially curative setting where our next studies are ongoing."

Ken Takeshita, Global Head, R&D, Daiichi Sankyo, said: "Patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer have one of the worst prognoses of any breast cancer subtype, and for those who are not candidates for immunotherapy, chemotherapy has long been the 1st-line standard of care. The TROPION-Breast02 results show Datroway has the potential to replace traditional chemotherapy in this setting and to meaningfully improve survival of patients."

Datroway is a specifically engineered TROP2-directed DXd antibody drug conjugate (ADC) discovered by Daiichi Sankyo and being jointly developed and commercialised by AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo.

Summary of efficacy results

Datroway (n=323)

ICC (n=321)

Median OS, months (95% CI)

23.7 (19.8-25.6)

18.7 (16.0-21.8)

HR (95% CI)

0.79 (0.64-0.98)

p-value

0.0291

Median PFS by BICR, months (95% CI)

10.8 (8.6-13.0)

5.6 (5.0-7.0)

HR (95% CI)

0.57 (0.47-0.69)

p-value

<0.0001

Median PFS by investigator, months (95% CI)

9.6 (7.4-11.2)

5.2 (4.2-5.6)

HR (95% CI)

0.56 (0.47-0.67)

Confirmed ORR, %

62.5

29.3

CR, % (n)

9.0 (29)

2.5 (8)

PR, % (n)

53.6 (173)

26.8 (86)

Median DoR, months (95% CI)

12.3 (9.1-15.9)

7.1 (5.6-8.9)

As of 25 August 2025, data cut-off, 45 patients (14%) remained on Datroway and 8 patients (3%) on chemotherapy.
BICR, blinded independent central review; CI, confidence interval; CR, complete response; DoR, duration of response; HR, hazard ratio; ICC, investigator’s choice of chemotherapy; ORR, objective response rate; OS, overall survival; PFS, progression-free survival; PR, partial response

Patients receiving Datroway were on treatment more than twice as long as those receiving chemotherapy (median duration of treatment of 8.5 versus 4.1 months) and experienced a lower rate of treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) associated with discontinuation (4% versus 7%). Grade 3 or higher TRAEs occurred in 33% and 29% of patients in the Datroway and chemotherapy arms, respectively. The most common Grade 3 or higher TRAEs were neutropenia (3%, 13%), stomatitis (8%, 0%), leukopenia (<1%, 4%), fatigue (3%, 3%), vomiting (1%, <1%), anaemia (2%, 3%), alopecia (0%, <1%), peripheral neuropathy (0%, 2%), dry eye (1%, 0%), nausea (<1%, <1%), decreased appetite (<1%, <1%) and constipation (<1%, 0%). There was one Grade 5 interstitial lung disease (ILD) event in the Datroway arm adjudicated as drug-related by an independent committee. This event was characterised as Grade 3 pneumonitis and cause of death was attributed to disease progression by the treating investigator.

AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo will also present updated results from the BEGONIA Phase Ib/II trial at ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) showing Datroway in combination with Imfinzi (durvalumab) continued to demonstrate robust anti-tumour activity as 1st-line treatment for patients with metastatic TNBC across PD-L1 expression levels and specifically in those with high PD-L1-expressing tumours. These results will be presented on Monday, 20 October (abstract #555MO).

AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo are evaluating Datroway across stages and treatment settings of TNBC in three additional Phase III trials. TROPION-Breast03 is evaluating Datroway with or without Imfinzi in patients with Stage I-III TNBC with residual invasive disease after neoadjuvant systemic therapy. TROPION-Breast04 is evaluating neoadjuvant Datroway plus Imfinzi in patients with Stage II-III triple-negative or hormone receptor (HR)-low, HER2-low or -negative breast cancer. TROPION-Breast05 is evaluating 1st-line Datroway with or without Imfinzi in patients with metastatic TNBC whose tumours express PD-L1.

Notes

Triple-negative breast cancer
TNBC accounts for approximately 15% of all breast cancer cases, with an estimated 345,000 diagnoses globally each year.1,2 TNBC is diagnosed more frequently in younger and premenopausal women, and is more prevalent in Black and Hispanic women.3-5 Metastatic TNBC is the most aggressive type of breast cancer and has one of the worst prognoses, with median OS of just 12 to 18 months and only about 14% of patients living five years following diagnosis.3,6,7

While some breast cancers may test positive for oestrogen receptors, progesterone receptors or overexpression of HER2, TNBC tests negative for all three.3 Due to its aggressive nature and absence of common breast cancer receptors, TNBC is characteristically difficult to treat.3 For patients with metastatic disease with PD-L1 expressing tumours, the addition of immunotherapy to chemotherapy has improved outcomes in the 1st-line setting.8,9 However, for the approximately 70% of patients with metastatic TNBC who are not candidates for immunotherapy, chemotherapy remains the 1st-line standard of care.10,11

TROP2 is a protein broadly expressed in several solid tumours including TNBC.12 TROP2 is associated with increased tumour progression and poor survival in patients with breast cancer.13,14

TROPION-Breast02
TROPION-Breast02 is a global, multicentre, randomised, open-label Phase III trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of Datroway versus investigator’s choice of chemotherapy (paclitaxel, nab-paclitaxel, capecitabine, carboplatin or eribulin) in patients with previously untreated locally recurrent inoperable or metastatic TNBC for whom immunotherapy was not an option. This included patients whose tumours did not express PD-L1 as well as patients with PD-L1 expressing tumours who could not receive immunotherapy due to prior exposure in early-stage disease, comorbidities or immunotherapy not being accessible in their geography. Enrolment included patients with de novo or recurrent disease, regardless of disease-free interval, and those with poor prognostic factors such as stable brain metastases.

The dual primary endpoints of TROPION-Breast02 are PFS as assessed by BICR and OS. Key secondary endpoints include PFS as assessed by investigator, objective response rate, duration of response, disease control rate, pharmacokinetics and safety.

TROPION-Breast02 enrolled 644 patients at sites in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America. For more information, visit ClinicalTrials.gov.

Datroway
Datroway (datopotamab deruxtecan; datopotamab deruxtecan-dlnk in the US only) is a TROP2-directed ADC. Designed using Daiichi Sankyo’s proprietary DXd ADC Technology, Datroway is one of six DXd ADCs in the oncology pipeline of Daiichi Sankyo, and one of the most advanced programmes in AstraZeneca’s ADC scientific platform. Datroway is comprised of a humanised anti-TROP2 IgG1 monoclonal antibody, developed in collaboration with Sapporo Medical University, attached to a number of topoisomerase I inhibitor payloads (an exatecan derivative, DXd) via tetrapeptide-based cleavable linkers.

Datroway is approved in more than 35 countries/regions worldwide for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic HR-positive, HER2-negative (IHC 0, IHC 1+ or IHC 2+/ISH-) breast cancer who have received prior endocrine-based therapy and chemotherapy for unresectable or metastatic disease based on results from the TROPION-Breast01 trial.

Datroway is available in the US under accelerated approval for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have received prior EGFR-directed therapy and platinum-based chemotherapy based on results from the TROPION-Lung05 and TROPION-Lung01 trials. Continued approval for this indication in the US may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in a confirmatory trial. Datroway is approved in Russia for the same population.

(Press release, AstraZeneca, OCT 19, 2025, View Source [SID1234656785])