A recent late-stage trial published in The New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s meeting revealed that a combination drug treatment significantly improved survival time for patients with aggressive colorectal cancer carrying the BRAF V600E mutation. This mutation occurs in about 10% of colorectal cancer cases and is associated with a poor prognosis, often leading to survival of less than a year post-diagnosis. The combination therapy included a standard chemotherapy drug, the antibody drug cetuximab, and Pfizer’s Braftovi, which targets the BRAF mutation.
The trial involved over 600 patients and aimed to evaluate the combination as a first-line treatment compared to standard chemotherapy, with or without bevacizumab. Results showed that patients receiving the three-drug regimen had an average survival of around 30 months, nearly double that of those on standard chemotherapy, which was approximately 15 months. Additionally, 47% of patients treated with the combination experienced no disease progression after two years.
The FDA provided fast-track approval for this new treatment approach, recognizing its potential to address a serious medical need. Experts hailed these findings as groundbreaking, marking a new standard of care for this patient subset.
Patients generally tolerated the treatment well, with no unexpected safety issues arising in the trial. One patient, Laurie Ritchie, diagnosed with metastatic colorectal cancer in 2023, reported that following the combination treatment, her blood tests indicated no trace of cancer, leading her to focus on living life more fully. This promising development could significantly impact many facing this challenging diagnosis.
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