Genfit has shared positive early results from their phase 1b clinical trial testing a new drug, GNS561, combined with a MEK inhibitor (MEKi) in patients with a specific type of bile duct cancer called cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) that has a KRAS mutation. This cancer is rare, aggressive, often found late, and has few treatment options. The trial included patients with advanced CCA who had not responded to previous treatments. Nine patients with measurable disease were part of the study, and four were assessed for tumor changes after six weeks. All four showed that their disease had not worsened, and some even had tumor shrinkage, with the best response being a 20% reduction. No serious side effects were seen, allowing the trial to continue with a third group of patients. Dr. Mark Yarchoan, a cancer specialist at John Hopkins Medicine and the lead researcher, said, ‘This type of advanced bile duct cancer is very hard to treat, and these early results are promising. Since MEK inhibitors alone haven’t worked well in the past, the early signs of improvement with this drug combination give us a good reason to keep studying it.’ Pascal Prigent, the CEO of Genfit, added, ‘These early results could mean a big improvement for patients with few options. We’re dedicated to moving this research forward quickly for those affected by this cancer. We’ll also look into using GNS561 with other treatments and for other cancers where this type of drug might help.’ The trial will continue to test higher doses into 2026, with plans to start a larger phase 2 trial in the second half of the year.