A recent clinical trial called Saffron has found that combining two existing cancer drugs, Orpathys (savolitinib) and Tagrisso (osimertinib), can significantly improve outcomes for patients with a specific type of lung cancer that has stopped responding to Tagrisso alone. The study focused on patients whose lung cancer had a genetic mutation called EGFR and whose tumors showed high levels of MET protein, which is a common reason why the cancer becomes resistant to Tagrisso. Patients in the trial who received both drugs lived longer without their cancer worsening and had better overall survival compared to those who received standard chemotherapy.
Lung cancer specialists like Professor Shun Lu, who led the study, say these results are very encouraging because they offer a new treatment option for patients whose cancer has come back after Tagrisso, a group that currently has limited and less effective treatment choices. MET-driven resistance is a major challenge in treating this type of lung cancer, and testing for MET levels could help doctors decide on the best treatment plan. The study’s findings also support the idea that combining these two drugs could become a standard treatment for these patients worldwide.
Dr. Weiguo Su, the CEO and Chief Scientific Officer of HUTCHMED, which developed Orpathys, explained that overcoming MET-driven resistance has been a tough challenge in cancer treatment. The Saffron trial builds on earlier results from a similar study in China, showing that the drug combination is effective and safe. The company is now working with AstraZeneca, the maker of Tagrisso, to seek approval for this treatment in other countries.
Dr. Susan Galbraith from AstraZeneca added that the combination of Orpathys and Tagrisso targets MET overexpression or amplification while still blocking EGFR, offering a new all-oral treatment option for patients with this specific cancer profile. The safety of the combination was found to be similar to what is already known for each drug individually, with no unexpected side effects reported.