Overview
- A randomized trial published February 2 in Nature Medicine tested time-of-day dosing in 210 patients with advanced non‑small cell lung cancer in China.
- Participants were assigned to receive four doses of the PD‑1 inhibitors pembrolizumab or sintilimab either before 15:00 or later in the day, with chemotherapy given shortly after each injection.
- Earlier‑day administration was associated with substantially better tumor control and reports of nearly doubled survival compared with later dosing.
- The results align with chronotherapy research on circadian influences over immune function and drug efficacy.
- Experts welcomed the findings but stressed that they come from a single trial and population, underscoring the need for independent replication and feasibility assessments before practice changes.