GSK unveils promising results from endometrial cancer trial

GSK unveiled promising outcomes from a phase three trial of ‘Jemperli’, or dostarlimab, in treating primary advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer on Monday.

The FTSE 100 pharmaceuticals giant said the data, presented at the Society of Gynecologic Oncology’s 2024 annual meeting on women's cancer, revealed significant advancements in overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS).

It said the trial was aiming to discern which patients with primary advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer could benefit from Jemperli plus chemotherapy, with or without the addition of ‘Zejula’, or niraparib, maintenance.

Part one examined dostarlimab plus standard-of-care chemotherapy, carboplatin-paclitaxel, followed by dostarlimab versus chemotherapy plus placebo.

GSK said part two evaluated dostarlimab plus standard-of-care chemotherapy, followed by dostarlimab plus niraparib as maintenance therapy versus chemotherapy plus placebo.

The results showed a 31% reduction in the risk of death and a 16.4-month improvement in median OS with dostarlimab plus chemotherapy compared to chemotherapy alone in the overall patient population.

Additionally, the addition of Zejula to dostarlimab maintenance following dostarlimab plus chemotherapy exhibited a 37% reduction in the risk of disease progression or death and a six-month enhancement in median PFS in the MMRp/MSS population.

The findings were significant as Jemperli plus chemotherapy emerged as the sole immuno-oncology combination demonstrating statistically significant and clinically meaningful OS in the overall endometrial cancer population.

It also underscored the potential benefit of the combination therapy, with or without niraparib, for patients with mismatch repair proficient (MMRp) or microsatellite stable (MSS) tumours, where approved immunotherapy-based regimens were currently lacking.

The company said the safety and tolerability profiles of dostarlimab plus carboplatin-paclitaxel and dostarlimab plus carboplatin-paclitaxel followed by dostarlimab plus niraparib were consistent with the known safety profiles of the individual medicines.

“The positive data presented today further show how dostarlimab-based regimens could benefit a broader set of patients with endometrial cancer,” said GSK senior vice-president and global head of oncology research and development.

“The results we've seen to date comprise the growing body of evidence supporting the role of dostarlimab as the backbone of our immuno-oncology development programme.

“Our goal is to continue to identify ways to use dostarlimab alone and in combination with other therapies to help improve outcomes for patients with limited treatment options.”

At 1140 GMT, shares in GSK were up 0.38% at 1,655.8p.

Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.