Can Tusamitamab Ravtansine Improve Survival in CEACAM5-High NSCLC?

By: Vanessa A. Carter, BS
Posted: Wednesday, October 2, 2024

Benjamin Besse, MD, PhD, of Gustave Roussy Institute, Villejuif, France, and colleagues conducted the CARMEN-LC03 trial to evaluate tusamitamab ravtansine—a CEACAM5-directed antibody-drug conjugate—vs docetaxel in patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and high CEACAM5 expression. Although this study did not meet its dual primary endpoint, the results suggest that tusamitamab ravtansine demonstrated a better safety profile. The first interim survival analyses were presented during the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) 2024 World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC; Abstract OA08.05).

A total of 371 patients with nonsquamous, previously treated NSCLC were randomly assigned 1:1 to receive either 100 mg/m² of tusamitamab ravtansine every 2 weeks (n = 194) or 75 mg/m² of docetaxel every 3 weeks (n = 177). Eligibility was dictated by CEACAM5 positivity of at least 2+ intensity that involved at least 50% of tumor cells.

As of September 2023, 36 patients given tusamitamab ravtansine and 25 given docetaxel remained on treatment. The median follow-up for progression-free survival and overall survival was 7.4 and 18.1 months, respectively. The median progression-free survival among patients who received tusamitamab ravtansine and docetaxel was similar (5.4 vs 5.9 months); the median overall survival was numerically higher with tusamitamab ravtansine (12.8 vs 11.5 months) but was not statistically significant. Objective response rates were comparable.

Tusamitamab ravtansine was observed to prolong the time to deterioration of disease-related symptoms, physical functioning, and role functioning compared with docetaxel. Although the frequency of grade 3 or higher treatment-related adverse events was decreased with the antibody-drug conjugate compared with chemotherapy, dose delays were more common among patients receiving tusamitamab ravtansine. Of note, the severity and incidence of ocular adverse events with tusamitamab ravtansine were consistent with previous data, and there were no reports of treatment-related sudden death.

Disclosure: For full disclosures of the study authors, visit wclc2024.iaslc.org.

2024 World Conference on Lung Cancer

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