Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) and BioNTech (NASDAQ: BNTX) add early pumitamig lung-cancer evidence
A small Phase 2 cohort supports further investigation of the PD-L1/VEGF combination strategy.
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Bristol Myers Squibb and BioNTech presented new Phase 2 data for pumitamig combined with docetaxel in non-small-cell lung cancer after initial immunotherapy and chemotherapy. In ROSETTA Lung-107, 36.7% of 30 response-evaluable patients achieved an objective response.
The disease-control rate in that group was 90%. Across 50 treated patients, median progression-free survival was 6.9 months. Grade 3 or worse adverse events attributed to pumitamig occurred in 18% of patients.
The different denominators matter: response-evaluable patients and the full treated population are not interchangeable. The study also lacks a randomised comparison that could establish the combination's incremental benefit over docetaxel alone.
The findings give the partners another clinical signal as they build the wider pumitamig programme. Commercial confidence will require larger, controlled studies showing that additional activity translates into durable patient benefit with acceptable toxicity. Early responses support development decisions; they are not yet proof of a new standard of care.
Source: Fierce Biotech reporting, 25 October.