Eli Lilly reported that its targeted therapy Retevmo significantly improved outcomes in the Phase 3 LIBRETTO-432 trial. The drug reduced the risk of disease recurrence or death by 83% compared to a placebo when used as an adjuvant therapy. This study focused on patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) following surgery or radiation.
Participants in the trial had stage IB-IIIA NSCLC characterized by a specific RET fusion genetic alteration. Data showed 92% of patients with stage II-IIIA disease remained alive and cancer-free after two years of Retevmo treatment. Only 61% of the placebo group achieved the same milestone. The New England Journal of Medicine published these findings, which were also presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting.
Retevmo currently holds approval for treating advanced or metastatic RET-altered cancers. Eli Lilly plans to submit this new data to global regulatory authorities to seek approval for the early-stage adjuvant setting. These results highlight the necessity of comprehensive genomic testing at diagnosis to identify eligible patients for targeted therapy.