On September 8, 2023 Novocure (NASDAQ: NVCR) reported its participation in the upcoming International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) 2023 World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) from September 9 – 13, 2023 in Singapore (Press release, NovoCure, SEP 8, 2023, View Source [SID1234635037]). Novocure will take part in presentations and symposia throughout the event and will exhibit several posters exploring the use of Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) therapy in the treatment of lung cancer, including a new post-hoc analysis of data from its LUNAR trial in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer.
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The LUNAR trial was designed to evaluate the use of TTFields therapy together with standard systemic therapies for the treatment of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, following progression on or after platinum-based therapy. The trial met its primary endpoint, demonstrating a statistically significant and clinically meaningful extension in overall survival (OS) for patients treated with TTFields and standard systemic therapies, as well as a pronounced extension in OS for patients randomized to receive physician’s choice immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) together with TTFields.
In a new post-hoc analysis of data from the LUNAR trial, researchers reviewed survival patterns of patients with known Tumor Proportion Scores (TPS) randomized to receive ICI together with or without TTFields. Among patients with TPS >1%, median OS for patients treated with TTFields therapy and ICI (n=22) was 23.6 months compared to 10.5 months for patients treated with ICI alone (n=26; HR: 0.49, P=0.045).
Further analysis shows evidence of a relationship between increasing PD-L1 expression and improved survival outcomes. In patients with TPS 1–49%, median OS was 19.0 months for patients treated with TTFields therapy and ICI (n=17), compared to 9.7 months for patients treated with ICI alone (n=18; HR: 0.55, P=0.14). In patients with TPS >50%, median OS was not reached for patients treated with TTFields therapy and ICI (n=5) compared to 30.0 months for patients treated with ICI alone (n=8; HR: 0.17, P=0.07).
These data will be presented on September 12, 2023 at 2:30 p.m. UTC+8 by primary investigator Ticiana Leal, M.D., a researcher and medical oncologist at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University and associate professor and director of the Thoracic Medical Oncology Program in the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta.
"This analysis further elucidates the promising results from the LUNAR trial and the potential benefit of utilizing TTFields therapy for the treatment of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer," Dr. Leal said. "I look forward to sharing these data with the global thoracic oncology community and continuing to analyze the data from this impactful study."
Novocure’s presence at the 2023 WCLC will also include:
An Industry Sponsored Symposium: A Spotlight on Tumor Treating Fields in Thoracic Oncology, on September 10 at 6:30 p.m. UTC+8
A poster displayed in the Exhibit Hall on September 10 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. UTC+8: P1.12-10 – Sensitization of Cancer Cells to Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) via Inhibition of the PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway
Three ePosters on demand:
EP02.02-02 – Transcriptomic Response to Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) Across Tumor Types
EP09.02-06 – Long-term Efficacy of Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields 150 kHz) in metastatic NSCLC: A Case Report
EP17.03-02 – Utilities Used in HTAs in mNSCLC Following Progression on or After Platinum-Based Chemotherapy
In addition, Novocure is partnering with the IASLC, host of the WCLC, to provide research opportunities to investigators worldwide who are conducting innovative research on TTFields in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer and other thoracic malignancies. These grants offer $100,000 to fund projects to be completed in a two-year timeframe.
"We are honored to partner with the IASLC in their mission to study and eradicate lung cancer and other thoracic malignancies," said Moshe Giladi, Ph.D., Novocure’s Chief Science Officer. "We look forward to supporting researchers and together expanding understanding of how TTFields therapy can be beneficial in the treatment of these diseases."
To learn more about these grants, please visit View Source application deadline is noon MDT on October 9, 2023.
About LUNAR
LUNAR was a phase 3 trial testing the safety and effectiveness of TTFields therapy when used together with ICI or docetaxel versus ICI or docetaxel alone for patients with metastatic NSCLC who progressed during or after platinum-based therapy. The trial met its primary endpoint, exhibiting a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in median OS when TTFields therapy was added to standard therapies. Patients randomized to receive TTFields therapy together with standard therapies (n=137) demonstrated median OS of 13.2 months compared to 9.9 months in patients treated with standard therapies alone (n=139; HR: 0.74, P=0.035).
The trial also demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in median OS when TTFields therapy was added to ICI. Patients randomized to receive TTFields therapy and physician’s choice ICI (n=66) demonstrated a median OS of 18.5 months versus a median OS of 10.8 months in patients treated with ICIs alone (n=68; HR=0.63; P=0.03). Patients randomized to receive TTFields therapy and docetaxel (n=71) had a positive survival trend with a median OS of 11.1 months vs 8.7 months in patients treated with docetaxel alone (n=71). TTFields therapy was well-tolerated with no added systemic toxicities and few grade 3 (no grade 4 or 5) device-related adverse events.
TTFields therapy is intended principally for use with other concomitant standard therapies, and LUNAR was designed to generate data that contemplates multiple outcomes, all of which Novocure believes will be clinically meaningful.
About NSCLC
Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death worldwide, and NSCLC accounts for approximately 85% of all lung cancers. It is estimated that approximately 193,000 patients are diagnosed with NSCLC each year in the U.S. Physicians use different combinations of surgery, radiation and pharmacological therapies to treat NSCLC, depending on the stage of the disease. Surgery, which may be curative in a subset of patients, is usually used in early stages of the disease. Since 1991, radiation with a combination of platinum-based chemotherapy drugs has been the first-line standard of care for locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC. Certain immune checkpoint inhibitors have been approved for the first-line treatment of NSCLC and the standard of care in this setting appears to be evolving rapidly. The standard of care for second-line treatment is also evolving and may include platinum-based chemotherapy for patients who received immune checkpoint inhibitors as their first-line regimen, docetaxel, immune checkpoint inhibitors or pemetrexed. It is estimated that approximately 46,000 patients receive second-line treatment for metastatic NSCLC each year in the U.S.