In a groundbreaking announcement on Monday, Novartis revealed the remarkable success of its radioligand therapy, Lutathera (lutetium Lu 177 dotatate), in a pivotal Phase III clinical trial known as NETTER-2. This innovative therapy has shown promising results in the battle against gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs), a group of malignancies that often go unnoticed until they reach advanced stages.
NETTER-2 was a randomized, open-label trial that focused on Lutathera as a first-line treatment option for 222 patients with grade 2 or 3 advanced GEP-NETs. Importantly, only patients whose tumors tested positive for the somatostatin receptor (SSTR) were eligible for this groundbreaking study.
The game-changing aspect of this trial lies in Lutathera’s combination with high-dose, long-acting octreotide. When used together, Lutathera led to a significant improvement in progression-free survival (PFS), the primary goal of the study, compared to octreotide alone. Even more reassuring, NETTER-2 uncovered no new safety concerns, as Lutathera’s adverse event profile was consistent with prior findings.
While Novartis has yet to disclose specific efficacy and safety figures, they have promised to unveil these critical details at an upcoming medical conference. Additionally, the company has signaled its intent to engage with regulatory authorities to discuss the implications of NETTER-2’s groundbreaking results.
Jeff Lagos, Novartis’ Executive Vice President and Global Head of Oncology Development, enthusiastically described the outcomes of NETTER-2 as “quite remarkable.” He emphasized that these results underscore Lutathera’s potential to bring about a “meaningful impact” for patients dealing with newly diagnosed advanced GEP-NETs.
Lutathera represents a beacon of hope in the battle against NETs. This innovative therapy, a peptide receptor radionuclide, has the remarkable ability to selectively target and bind to SSTRs on the surface of cancer cells.
Once bound, Lutathera enters these cells and delivers its radiation directly to the target sites. This pioneering radiotherapeutic agent earned FDA approval in January 2018 for GEP-NET patients who experience disease progression despite conventional treatments.
This latest achievement follows the success of Lutathera in the NETTER-1 trial, which led to its regulatory approval in 2018 for inoperable midgut NETs. With NETTER-2, Novartis is now on a mission to position Lutathera as a frontrunner in treating these challenging tumors from the very outset.
Novartis’ announcement comes at a time when the company is making strategic decisions in its oncology portfolio. Recently, they returned the investigational monoclonal antibody tislelizumab to BeiGene due to regulatory delays.
This anti-PD-1 candidate held promise as a treatment for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and had already received approval from the European Commission and Chinese authorities in multiple indications.
Additionally, in August 2023, Novartis discontinued the development of the anti-TGFβ antibody NIS793, reverting it to Xoma Corporation. NIS793 was undergoing Phase III evaluation as a first-line combination treatment for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
Novartis’ strides in oncology, particularly with Lutathera, signify a remarkable shift in the landscape of cancer treatment, bringing hope and potential solutions to those facing the challenges of GEP-NETs.