Overview
- At ESMO’s Berlin meeting, three researchers from China, including Shun Lu and Li Zhang, presented phase III trials during the high-profile presidential session.
- A lung cancer study led by Shun Lu compared a bispecific antibody plus chemotherapy with a single-target antibody plus chemotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer.
- Antibody–drug conjugates reported marked benefits across several tumors, with phase III data indicating reduced relapse risk or longer relapse-free survival in localized breast and bladder cancers.
- Fabrice André explained that ADCs deliver concentrated chemotherapy directly to cancer cells via targeted antibodies, a mechanism cited to account for the observed efficacy.
- With roughly 35,000 oncologists in attendance, the results were received enthusiastically, while questions about generalizing China-only trials have prompted ESMO to consider adding Western patients earlier in development.