At the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting in Chicago, doctors presented two important studies about lung cancer treatment. Lung cancer kills more people than any other cancer in the world, and these trials suggest that treatment methods may be changing.
The first study, called HARMONi-6, tested a new drug called ivonescimab. This drug is special because it blocks two cancer targets at the same time, rather than just one. The trial included 532 patients with advanced squamous lung cancer. Patients who received ivonescimab with chemotherapy lived longer than those who received standard treatment. The new combination reduced the risk of death by 34 percent.
The drug was developed by Akeso, a Chinese company, with help from Summit Therapeutics. This was the first time a China-developed cancer drug was chosen for this prestigious presentation.
The second study, LIBRETTO-432, tested selpercatinib for a rare genetic mutation called RET fusion. This drug was given to patients after surgery to prevent cancer from returning. The results were very impressive. The drug reduced the risk of cancer returning by about 83 percent. However, both drugs had serious side effects that some patients could not tolerate.
Both trials show that cancer treatment is moving toward more precise drugs that target specific weaknesses in cancer cells.