Novocure Stock Surges on Promising Pancreatic Cancer Trial Results
Novocure (NASDAQ: NVCR) shares jumped 5% on Thursday following the announcement of encouraging topline results from its Phase 2 PANOVA-4 clinical trial. The study evaluated the effectiveness of Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) therapy in treating metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, and the findings have sparked optimism among investors and the medical community alike.
The trial successfully met its primary endpoint, demonstrating a statistically significant improvement in the disease control rate compared to historical data. Specifically, patients who received TTFields therapy in combination with atezolizumab and gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel achieved a disease control rate of 74.4%. This marks a notable increase from the 48% disease control rate observed in the Phase 3 MPACT study, which served as the historical control and involved gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel alone.
The PANOVA-4 trial enrolled 78 patients, all of whom received the combination therapy as a first-line treatment for metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Disease control was defined as either stable disease lasting at least 16 weeks or a confirmed partial or complete response, based on RECIST v1.1 criteria.
In addition to the primary endpoint, the trial also delivered promising secondary outcomes. The objective response rate reached 34.6%, while the median overall survival for patients treated with the combination therapy was 9.7 months. Patients underwent TTFields therapy for a median duration of 25.6 weeks, and systemic therapy treatment lasted for a median of six cycles with atezolizumab and gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel.
Importantly, TTFields therapy was well-tolerated, with device-related safety results aligning with those observed in previous clinical studies. Novocure has announced plans to share further insights from the PANOVA-4 trial at an upcoming scientific forum.
These results underscore the potential of TTFields therapy as a promising treatment option for metastatic pancreatic cancer, offering hope to patients battling this challenging disease.
To find out more information on Novocure please visit www.novocure.com.
