Tagrisso and Orpathys Improve Progression-Free Survival in Lung Cancer

AstraZeneca and HUTCHMED announced that their combination therapy of Tagrisso (osimertinib) and Orpathys (savolitinib) has shown a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in progression-free survival (PFS) for patients with first-line non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The study included patients with both EGFR mutations and MET overexpression in their tumors.

The SANOVO Phase III trial, conducted in China, found that the combination of Tagrisso and Orpathys was more effective than Tagrisso alone. The combination improved PFS in both the high MET (IHC 3+) population and the intention-to-treat (ITT) population (IHC 2+, IHC 3+). Encouraging results were also observed for overall survival (OS), a secondary endpoint.

Professor Yi-Long Wu, the trial's lead investigator, highlighted that co-occurring MET overexpression can compromise the durability of EGFR-TKI monotherapy. He stated that the Tagrisso and Orpathys combination offers a new, powerful approach for these patients and could reshape the primary treatment strategy.

Tagrisso is already a backbone therapy for EGFR-mutated lung cancer. These new findings from the SANOVO trial further support the benefit of combining it with Orpathys, particularly for patients with MET-driven resistance. The combination is already approved in China for certain previously treated patient populations, and the data will be presented at upcoming medical meetings and submitted to regulatory authorities.