Two innovative treatment regimens have shown promising results in patients with gastroesophageal cancers, as presented in a recent ASCO Plenary Series session. These findings are significant as they did not reveal any new adverse events associated with the investigational approaches.
EDGE-Gastric Study
The first study, known as the EDGE-Gastric study, involved a combination of anti-PD-1 inhibitors with chemotherapy, which is now the standard of care for first-line gastroesophageal cancers. However, long-term outcomes remain poor. The study included 41 patients with untreated gastric, gastroesophageal junction, or esophageal adenocarcinoma. They were treated with domvanalimab, zimberelimab, and standard-dose FOLFOX. The primary outcomes were safety and investigator-assessed objective response rate (ORR), with secondary endpoints including efficacy by PD-L1 status. The study showed an ORR of 80% in patients with a higher PD-L1 score and 46% in those with a lower score. The 6-month progression-free survival (PFS) rate was 77% overall and 93% in those with a higher PD-L1 score.
China Study on CMG901
The second study, conducted in China, assessed the safety and efficacy of CMG901, a novel CLDN18.2-specific antibody-drug conjugate, in patients with advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer. The study involved a dose-escalation phase and a dose-expansion phase, evaluating the therapy’s safety, tolerability, and antitumor activity. The objective response rate was 32.6% among CLDN18.2-positive patients, with a median PFS of 4.76 months. The treatment was associated with manageable safety profiles and showed promising efficacy, suggesting further exploration of CMG901 as a treatment option.
These studies represent significant advancements in the treatment of gastroesophageal cancers, offering hope for improved outcomes in this patient population.