A clinical trial run by Amgen that combined its KRAS-targeting cancer drug called Lumakras with other immunotherapies caused serious liver side effects — forcing lung cancer patients to abandon treatment and leading to substantially lower tumor response rates.
The study results, presented Sunday at a lung cancer meeting in Vienna, are a setback for Amgen’s effort to craft new treatments involving Lumakras. The company has been exploring combination regimens to expand the number of patients who might benefit, and accelerate the drug’s sales, which have lagged expectations to this point.
It’s also trying to maintain a lead over a rival biotech, Mirati Therapeutics, which is developing a competing KRAS-targeted drug.
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