A new cancer jab has shown 'unprecedented' results in eradicating entire tumours, doctors have reported following early-stage trials. The injection, called amivantamab, brought dramatic changes within weeks for some patients in a trial spanning 11 countries.
Triple-Action Injection Shows Promise
The triple-action injection was offered to patients whose cancers had resisted normal treatment in an international study by the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR). Some 42% of patients saw their tumours shrink, while 15 individuals found the drug had melted the tumours away completely.
Professor Kevin Harrington, a consultant oncologist at the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, said: 'These are unprecedentedly strong responses in patients whose disease has become resistant to both chemotherapy and immunotherapy. This is a group of patients for whom treatment options are extremely limited, so seeing this level of benefit is very striking.'
Convenient Administration
Amivantamab is given via injection, whereas many other cancer treatments require intravenous drips or other invasive methods. The injection is also faster, more convenient for patients, and 'significantly easier' to deliver in outpatient clinics, the ICR noted.
Trial Details
Scientists administered the drug to 102 individuals with head and neck cancers that had spread to other parts of the body or become recurrent. Head and neck cancers affect approximately 12,800 people in the UK each year and are the sixth most common form of cancer globally.
The trial involved patients from 55 hospitals across 11 countries whose cancer type was projected to have 'very poor outcomes'. Despite this, those who received amivantamab saw their tumours begin to respond within about six weeks of starting treatment.
Patient Experience
Carl Walsh, 56, from Birmingham, joined the study at The Royal Marsden in July 2025 after chemotherapy and immunotherapy were both unsuccessful for his tongue cancer. He stated: 'I now feel able to live a normal life. Before starting the trial, I struggled to speak properly and found eating difficult because of the swelling and pain. Since beginning treatment, the swelling has reduced significantly, and my pain levels have improved considerably. I'm also no longer experiencing the same life-impacting side effects that I had during chemotherapy.'
Future Research
The injection, developed by pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson, is now being tested in about 60 clinical trials, primarily for lung cancer, but also for colorectal, brain, and gastric cancers.
Professor Kristian Helin, chief executive of the ICR, commented: 'Achieving this level of tumour response and encouraging survival outcomes in such a challenging to treat group represents a significant step forward.'
