Nearly 18 months against 12: a new lung-cancer pill cut the risk of death by 44%

For people whose lung cancer carries a faulty gene switch called KRAS G12C, two targeted pills already exist — and Swiss drugmaker Roche asked whether its candidate, divarasib, could do better. In the Phase 3 Krascendo 1 trial of 338 previously treated patients, people on divarasib lived a median of nearly 18 months, against 12 months on the existing drugs — a 44% lower risk of death. Their cancer also stayed quiet longer (9.8 months against 5.7), tumours shrank in 58% against 32%, and fewer stopped treatment over side effects (4.8% against 11.7%). The results, presented at the ESMO congress in Madrid, were published in the New England Journal of Medicine; Roche is now working with health authorities to bring the drug to patients.

SDG 3 · Good health and well-being — Mechanism: tech innovation