Ivonescimab cuts death risk by one-third in Chinese lung cancer trial, adds four-month survival

A trial in China evaluated ivonescimab combined with chemotherapy in patients newly diagnosed with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. The study was presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting and serves as a proxy for a larger global trial being developed by Akeso and Summit Therapeutics.

The data showed that ivonescimab reduced the risk of death by about one-third compared with standard chemotherapy. Patients receiving the combination also lived roughly four months longer on average, marking the first overall‑survival benefit reported for the drug.

These findings are closely watched because ivonescimab belongs to the PD‑1/VEGF inhibitor class, a category that could generate significant revenue if the global study confirms the results. The Chinese trial mirrors the design of the pending worldwide trial, which is projected to be worth tens of billions of dollars.

Investors reacted cautiously, with the modest survival gain sparking debate about the drug's commercial potential and prompting a dip in the companies' share prices.