Amivantamab shown to extend survival in advanced NSCLC
Johnson & Johnson has announced final overall survival (OS) results from the Phase III PAPILLON study of first-line intravenous (IV) Rybrevant (amivantamab).
The fully-human EGFR-MET bispecific antibody was assessed with carboplatin-pemetrexed chemotherapy, versus chemotherapy alone, in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon 20 insertion (Ex20ins) mutations.
Patients treated with amivantamab plus chemotherapy achieved a median OS of 34.3 months vs 27.9 months with chemotherapy alone. This represents the longest reported median OS in this patient population, and is nearly twice the 16.2-month median OS reported in a real-world cohort of patients with EGFR exon 20 insertion-mutated NSCLC.
The results were presented at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) 2026 World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC).
EGFR Ex20ins mutations account for approximately 12% of all EGFR mutations. Unlike more common EGFR mutations (exon 19 deletions and L858R), exon 20 insertion mutations have thus far been difficult to treat with targeted medicines.
Amivantamab is a first-in-class bispecific antibody designed to dual-target EGFR and mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET), two key drivers of tumour growth and treatment resistance, while also engaging the immune system.
It is currently approved for use in patients with EGFR-mutated advanced NSCLC across common (exon 19 deletions and exon 21 L858R substitution mutations) and exon 20 insertion mutations, in the first-line and second-line settings.
“We’ve come a long way in treating EGFR exon 20 insertion-positive lung cancer, and these results demonstrate the lasting impact amivantamab plus chemotherapy can have in helping patients live longer,” said Dr Chul Kim, Director of Thoracic Oncology, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. “Patients are continuing treatment years after they started, which speaks to the durability of this approach and its value as a first-line treatment for this disease.”