The latest analysis from Amgen's Phase 2 FIGHT trial was reported in The Lancet Oncology, a leading cancer journal. In patients with gastric cancer with high expression of the FGFR2b gene, the combination of vemarituzumab and FOLFOX6 chemotherapy showed a prolonged progression-free survival compared to FOLFOX6 chemotherapy alone.

A total of 910 patients were screened and 155 patients with high FGFR2b gene expression were enrolled in the study. 77 patients were randomized to receive bemarituzumab plus FOLFOX6 and 78 patients were randomized to receive FOLFOX6 alone. 89 patients, 57%, were from Asia.

Based on the evaluation of treatment efficacy, median progression-free survival was 9.5 months in the bemarituzumab plus FOLFOX6 arm compared to 7.4 months in the FOLFOX6 alone arm. While the severity and frequency of adverse events were similar in both treatment arms, patients receiving the combination of vemarituzumab and FOLFOX6 experienced a unique set of corneal adverse events, all of which resolved after discontinuation of the drug.

In a clinical trial in patients with gastric cancer with high FGFR2b gene expression, researchers demonstrated that the combination of vemarituzumab and FOLFOX6 chemotherapy improved progression-free survival, although not statistically significant, compared to FOLFOX6 chemotherapy alone, and the trial is currently underway in a large Phase 3 clinical trial, enrolling a total of 59 gastric cancer patients at 12 hospitals in Korea. Patients who are newly diagnosed with metastatic, advanced gastric cancer and are considering chemotherapy should be tested for FGFR2b gene expression and considered for participation in this clinical trial.