A new “smart jab” has shown remarkable results in shrinking head and neck cancer tumours within six weeks, offering fresh hope to patients with few remaining treatment options.
The drug, amivantamab, works through a triple-action mechanism and can be administered as a simple injection rather than hours-long hospital infusions. Results from the Orig-AMI 4 trial, presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology conference in Berlin, showed that 76% of patients saw their tumours shrink or stop growing after treatment.
Head and neck cancer is the sixth most common cancer globally, and patients with recurrent or metastatic forms often have limited choices once chemotherapy and immunotherapy fail.
“This could represent a real shift in how we treat head and neck cancer,” said Prof Kevin Harrington of the Institute of Cancer Research in London. “To see this level of benefit for patients who have endured numerous treatments is incredibly encouraging.”
Amivantamab targets cancer on three fronts — blocking two major growth pathways (EGFR and MET) and helping the immune system attack tumour cells. In the trial, patients experienced an average progression-free survival of 6.8 months, with most side effects reported as mild to moderate.
Unlike traditional therapies, the drug can be delivered quickly under the skin, potentially allowing future treatments to take place in outpatient settings or even at home.
One participant, Carl Walsh, a 59-year-old from Birmingham with tongue cancer, said the treatment has already changed his life. “Before starting the trial, I couldn’t talk properly and eating was difficult,” he said. “Now the swelling has gone down, the pain is less, and sometimes I even forget that I have cancer.”
