This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab and chemotherapy extends PFS in non-small cell lung cancer
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
The addition of atezolizumab to first-line treatment with bevacizumab and chemotherapy significantly prolonged PFS among individuals with advanced nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer, according to the agent’s manufacturer.
Atezolizumab (Tecentriq, Genentech) is a monoclonal antibody designed to bind with PD-L1.
The randomized, multicenter, open-label phase 3 IMpower150 study assessed the efficacy and safety of atezolizumab in combination of chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab (Avastin, Genentech) for patients with stage IV nonsquamous NSCLC who had not undergone chemotherapy for their advanced disease.
Researchers randomly assigned 1,202 patients 1:1:1 to atezolizumab plus carboplatin and paclitaxel (Arm A); atezolizumab and bevacizumab plus carboplatin and paclitaxel (Arm B), and bevacizumab plus carboplatin and paclitaxel (Arm C).
Patients with ALK or EGFR mutations were excluded from the primary intention-to-treat analysis. PFS and OS served as co-primary endpoints.
The study met its co-primary endpoint of PFS. OS data are not mature but initial observations are promising, according to a Genentech-issued press release. The next OS analysis is expected in the first half of next year.
The safety of atezolizumab and bevacizumab plus chemotherapy appeared consistent with the known safety profile of each agent alone. Researchers observed no new safety signals with the combination.
The most common side effects reported among patients with NSCLC who receive atezolizumab are fatigue, decreased appetite, shortness of breath, cough, nausea, muscle or bone pain, and constipation.
More detailed data from IMpower150 will be presented in December at the European Society for Medical Oncology Immuno-Oncology Congress in Geneva.
“We are extremely encouraged by these results and will submit these data to health authorities globally with the goal of bringing a potential new standard of care for the initial treatment of lung cancer,” Sandra Horning, MD, chief medical officer and head of global product development for Genentech, said in the release. “In addition to first-line NSCLC, we are testing the ability of Tecentriq and Avastin to enhance the potential of the immune system to combat a broad range of other cancers.”