China's Akeso Cancer Drug Bests AstraZeneca's Imfinzi in Phase 3 Trial
SCMP · 1 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Chinese biopharma Akeso announced Wednesday that its immunotherapy drug ivonescimab outperformed AstraZeneca's Imfinzi in a head-to-head phase 3 trial for biliary tract cancer. The landmark result marks the first positive phase 3 study for ivonescimab in gastrointestinal tumours, potentially opening doors for the drug to treat a broader range of solid tumours. Akeso has yet to disclose exact survival figures from the trial, which the company expects to present at an upcoming conference.
Key Points
- Akeso's phase 3 trial tested ivonescimab plus chemotherapy against AstraZeneca's Imfinzi (durvalumab) plus chemotherapy on 682 patients with advanced biliary tract cancer
- Biliary tract cancer is particularly deadly, with a five-year survival rate of less than 5 percent according to a Nature study
- Ivonescimab has already received initial approval from Chinese regulators for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)
- US firm Summit Therapeutics licensed ivonescimab in a multibillion-dollar deal and is applying for US approval to treat NSCLC
- Akeso is testing ivonescimab on other cancers including colorectal cancer and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
Why It Matters
The trial result represents another breakthrough for Akeso's ivonescimab as China's biopharma industry increasingly looks to compete directly against global giants like AstraZeneca, which generated more than US$6 billion in revenue last year from Imfinzi sales . The successful gastrointestinal tumour data could significantly expand the drug's market potential and strengthen China's position in global cancer treatment development.
The trial result represents another breakthrough for Akeso's ivonescimab as China's biopharma industry increasingly looks to compete directly against global giants like AstraZeneca, which generated more than US$6 billion in revenue last year from Imfinzi sales . The successful gastrointestinal tumour data could significantly expand the drug's market potential and strengthen China's position in global cancer treatment development.