Cancer drug erases tumors in chemo-resistant cancers, early trial results show

In a multi-country trial, Johnson & Johnson’s amivantamab shrank or eradicated tumors in patients with head and neck cancer (and some lung cancers) that had stopped responding to chemotherapy or immunotherapy; 43 of 102 patients responded (28 partial shrinkages, 15 complete disappearances), with results to be presented at ASCO in Chicago; the drug works by targeting tumor growth proteins and activating the immune system, and median survival was about 12.5 months, with ongoing trials to explore broader use.