Savolitinib and osimertinib combination improves lung cancer survival in trial

The phase 3 SANOVO trial has demonstrated that combining savolitinib (Orpathys) with osimertinib (Tagrisso) significantly improves progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with previously untreated, EGFR-mutant, and MET-overexpressing non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Conducted in China, the randomized, controlled study showed statistically significant improvements in the primary endpoint of PFS for both the high MET population and the intention-to-treat (ITT) population compared to osimertinib alone. The combination therapy also showed an encouraging trend in overall survival (OS), though follow-up for survival outcomes is ongoing.

Lead principal investigator Yi-Long Wu stated that the results suggest a powerful new approach for patients whose tumors exhibit MET overexpression by addressing both pathways simultaneously. The safety profile of the combination was consistent with the known profiles of the individual agents, with no new safety findings reported.