A new “smart” cancer jab has shown remarkable results in shrinking head and neck tumours within six weeks, offering hope for patients whose disease has returned after standard treatments.
The drug, amivantamab, was tested in patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) who had already undergone chemotherapy and immunotherapy. The findings, presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology conference in Berlin, were described by researchers as “incredibly encouraging.”
Professor Kevin Harrington, from the Institute of Cancer Research and the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“To see this level of benefit for patients who have endured numerous treatments is incredibly encouraging. This could represent a real shift in how we treat head and neck cancer – not just in terms of effectiveness, but also how we deliver care.”
Amivantamab, developed by Janssen, is a triple-action therapy that blocks two key cancer pathways — EGFR and MET — while also stimulating the immune system to attack tumour cells. Unlike many cancer treatments requiring long hospital infusions, it can be given as a simple under-the-skin injection, potentially making it faster and more convenient for patients.
In the Orig-AMI 4 trial, involving patients from 11 countries, 76% of those treated with amivantamab saw their tumours shrink or stop growing, with responses appearing on average within six weeks. Side effects were mostly mild to moderate, and patients experienced an average progression-free survival of 6.8 months.
One trial participant, Carl Walsh, 59, from Birmingham, said the treatment had transformed his quality of life.
“Before starting the trial, I couldn’t talk properly and eating was difficult. Now the swelling has gone down, and I’m not in the same amount of pain. Sometimes I even forget that I have cancer.”
Researchers say the results mark a major step forward for patients with few remaining options, and could reshape how head and neck cancers are treated in the future.
