Akeso says its drug improved survival in lung cancer trial

Akeso, a Chinese biotech with a drug positioned to rival Merck’s megablockbuster Keytruda, has reported for the first time that the therapy can improve patient survival.

The therapy, ivonescimab, showed a statistically significant survival benefit as a second-line treatment when combined with chemotherapy to treat non-small cell lung cancers. The patients’ cancers had progressed after getting therapies targeting EGFR, a protein that can drive tumor growth. 

The company described the results of the Chinese trial as clinically meaningful in a report for the first half of the year released on Tuesday. But it didn’t delve into details, which Akeso plans to share at an upcoming medical conference.