Bristol Myers lung cancer trial shows 11.1-month PFS

• Bristol Myers Squibb and SystImmune reported positive Phase 3 PANKU-Lung01 results, with izalontamab brengitecan extending median progression-free survival to 11.1 months versus 5.7 months with chemotherapy.
• The investigational therapy reduced the relative risk of disease progression or death by 60%, while confirmed tumor response rates reached 60.2% compared with 34.5% for chemotherapy.
• Results are being presented at ESMO 2026, supporting further development of the EGFRxHER3 bispecific antibody-drug conjugate across multiple cancer types.

Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY) and SystImmune reported positive Phase 3 PANKU-Lung01 results showing that izalontamab brengitecan extended median progression-free survival to 11.1 months in previously treated EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer.

The investigational therapy, also known as iza-bren, outperformed platinum-based chemotherapy, which achieved median progression-free survival of 5.7 months, representing a 60% reduction in the relative risk of progression or death.

“The PANKU-Lung01 results mark an important inflection point for iza-bren,” said Bristol Myers Squibb Chief Medical Officer Cristian Massacesi.

Confirmed objective response rates reached 60.2% with iza-bren compared with 34.5% for chemotherapy, while median response duration was 10.4 months versus 5.7 months.

The companies are presenting the findings at the ESMO 2026 Congress on October 26, with the data supporting continued development of iza-bren as a potential treatment after EGFR-targeted therapy.

The randomized trial enrolled 422 patients, including 216 receiving iza-bren and 206 receiving chemotherapy, while treatment-related adverse events led to discontinuation in 1.9% of iza-bren recipients.

SystImmune's parent company Biokin sponsored the China-based trial, while Bristol Myers Squibb and SystImmune are jointly developing iza-bren outside China under a licensing agreement.

The median overall survival data remain immature, and iza-bren is investigational; the results do not yet establish an overall survival benefit or regulatory approval.