GSK's cancer drug Jemperli meets overall survival goal in late-stage trial

[October 30, 2023]  (Reuters) -British drugmaker GSK said on Monday its cancer drug Jemperli when combined with chemotherapy, met the primary goal of overall survival in patients with advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer in a late-stage trial.

Overall survival, defined as the proportion of trial patients on the drug who were alive compared to those on a placebo, was one of two primary goals in a Phase III trial, GSK said.

The company said the data showed a statistically significant and meaningful benefit in the overall patient population, without giving further details.

Jemperli has been approved in the United States and UK to treat specific subtypes of advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer in combination with chemotherapy.

GSK's latest results could open the way for approval in a much wider group of patients.

The company, which has sought to rebuild its oncology business in recent years, is expecting a decision on authorization from Europe's regulator by the end of 2023.
 

A robot, Cellular Automated Screening Platform, runs cell-based screening assays in a lab at the GSK Research and Development centre in Stevenage, Britain, February 21, 2023. REUTERS/Anna Gordon/File Photo

Jemperli belongs to class of medicines called PD-1 inhibitors, that work by increasing the ability of the body's immune system to help detect and fight tumor cells.

Endometrial cancer, found in the inner lining of the uterus, is the most common gynecologic cancer in developed countries, with about 417,000 new cases reported globally every year, according to GSK.

The trial's other goal of progression-free survival (PFS) was met previously. The term PFS refers to how long a patient lives without the disease getting worse after treatment.

(Reporting by Eva Mathews in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane Venkatraman and Barbara Lewis)

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