Novel Agent Tislelizumab Extends Survival in Lung Cancer: Interim Phase III Report

The novel agent tislelizumab improved progression-free survival (PFS; primary endpoint) in the firstline setting in patients with squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to interim data from a randomized, phase III study.

The open-label, multicenter BGB-A317-307 clinical trial included 360 patients from China with previously untreated stage IIIB or stage IV squamous NSCLC.

Patients were randomized 1:1:1 to received tislelizumab 200 mg every three weeks plus paclitaxel and carboplatin; tislelizumab in combination with nab-paclitaxel and carboplatin; or paclitaxel and carboplatin alone.

Improved PFS in tislelizumab-containing regimens

Both tislelizumab-based regimens resulted in a statistically significant PFS benefit compared with the chemotherapy alone regimen.

Tislelizumab exhibited a safety profile that was consistent with prior studies, and there were no new safety signals observed in this study.

Tislelizumab is currently only approved in China for relapsed/refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma.

BeiGene, Ltd., the manufacturer of tislelizumab, said it will present full results of the trial at an upcoming medical conference.