Phase III Success for Novocure in Lung Cancer Brain Metastases

Swiss pharmaceutical company Novocure has reported positive results from a Phase III clinical trial of its Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) therapy for patients with brain metastases originating from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The METIS trial, which focused on patients who had undergone stereotactic radiosurgery, demonstrated that TTFields therapy combined with supportive care significantly increased the time to intracranial progression compared to supportive care alone.

The trial enrolled patients with one to ten brain metastases resulting from NSCLC. The median time to intracranial progression for those treated with TTFields and supportive care was 21.9 months, a marked improvement over the 11.3 months observed in the supportive care group. The therapy was well-tolerated, with minimal impact on the patients' quality of life and neurocognitive functions, and showed a p-value of 0.016, indicating statistical significance.

Although secondary endpoints such as neurocognitive failure, overall survival, and radiological response rate did not achieve statistical significance, Novocure noted positive trends in some areas, including time to distant progress and quality of life. The company's stock price surged by over 15% following the announcement of the trial results.

Novocure intends to submit the trial data to regulatory bodies, publish the findings in a peer-reviewed journal, and present them at an upcoming scientific conference. The company's CEO, Asaf Danziger, expressed pride in pursuing areas with significant unmet medical needs and thanked all those involved in the METIS trial.

TTFields therapy works by utilizing electric fields to exert physical forces on cancer cells, effectively targeting and killing them without substantially affecting healthy cells, which have different properties. Last year, a Phase III study of TTFields in NSCLC also showed improved overall survival rates compared to standard treatments.

Dr. Minesh Mehta, a leading radiation oncologist, highlighted the benefits of TTFields therapy in delaying brain relapse and improving patients' quality of life and cognitive stability. The therapy represents a significant advancement in the treatment of brain metastases from NSCLC, offering new hope for patients facing this challenging condition.