Doctors are reporting unprecedented results from an international trial of a new triple-action cancer jab, which has successfully eradicated entire tumours in patients who had exhausted all other treatment options. The findings, reported by The Guardian, detail the efficacy of the drug amivantamab in patients whose head and neck cancers had previously proven resistant to chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
In the trial, which spanned 11 countries, 102 patients received the treatment. Researchers observed that tumours shrank or disappeared entirely in 43 of those participants. Specifically, 15 patients saw their tumours melt away completely, while 28 experienced significant shrinkage. Similar promising results have also surfaced in patients battling lung cancer.
Kevin Harrington, a professor in biological cancer therapies at the Institute of Cancer Research in London and a consultant oncologist at the Royal Marsden, described the results as highly significant. "These are unprecedentedly strong responses in patients whose disease has become resistant to both chemotherapy and immunotherapy," Harrington said. "This is a group of patients for whom treatment options are extremely limited, so seeing this level of benefit is very striking."
A targeted approach to treatment
The drug, developed by Johnson & Johnson, functions as a "smart" treatment by attacking cancer through three distinct mechanisms. It blocks the EGFR protein, which promotes tumour growth, and the MET pathway, which cancer cells often utilize to evade traditional therapy. Additionally, the jab stimulates the patient's immune system to identify and attack the cancerous cells.
Carl Walsh, a 56-year-old patient from Birmingham diagnosed with tongue cancer in 2024, is among those who have seen a life-changing recovery. After failing to respond to initial chemotherapy and immunotherapy, Walsh joined the OrigAMI-4 trial at the Royal Marsden in July 2025.
"I now feel able to live a normal life," Walsh told The Guardian. "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."
Unlike traditional intravenous therapies, amivantamab is administered as a small injection under the skin. This delivery method allows for faster treatment in outpatient settings. The side effects have been largely manageable, with fewer than 10% of patients needing to discontinue the medication.
Researchers highlighted that the study focused on head and neck cancers not linked to HPV, a group that is typically more difficult to treat. The findings are set to be presented this Sunday at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (Asco) annual meeting in Chicago. With the drug currently under evaluation in approximately 60 different clinical trials, experts believe it could provide a vital new path for thousands of patients worldwide.
