Health

New Drug Shows 45% Overall Response Rate in Head, Neck Cancer Trial

Published OCT 20 2025

Story

Above: A needle for vaccine injection. Image credit: Unsplash

The Facts

A clinical trial called OrigAMI-4 has shown promise in shrinking cancerous head and neck tumors, according to research presented to the 2025 conference of the European Society for Medical Oncology in Berlin.
guardian
Daily Mail
Johnson & Johnson
The drug called amivantamab, developed by Johnson & Johnson, was trialled across 55 sites in 11 different countries, and was tested in combination with other treatments and on its own on patients suffering from head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).
The Institute of Cancer Research
Independent
Amivantamab works by blocking the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) proteins that grow tumors, as well as the MET pathways cancer cells use to evade treatment. The drug also activates the immune system to attack tumors.
The Institute of Cancer Research
Johnson & Johnson
Detailing their evidence, Johnson & Johnson claimed that the drug achieved a 45% overall response rate in patients whose disease had progressed despite being treated with a checkpoint inhibitor and platinum-based chemotherapy.
Johnson & Johnson
Pharma Times
The treatment recorded a fast median first response rate of 6.8 weeks and a long median duration response of 7.2 months, with tumor shrinkage observed in 82% of patients following a check-up after 8.3 months.
Johnson & Johnson
Due to its findings, Johnson & Johnson announced that it will launch a Phase 3 OrigAMI-5 trial, which will test the effectiveness of amivantamab when used with pembrolizumab and carboplatin as opposed to 5-fluorouracil plus pembrolizumab and platinum-based chemotherapy.
Johnson & Johnson

Sources Split

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The Spin

Narrative A

The results of this trial give hope to countless people suffering from head and neck cancers. As the study has made crystal clear, amivantamab is an effective drug for treating these ailments. With the high levels of recorded improvement in patients, the further research and development of this drug could provide a groundbreaking treatment option in the future.

The Institute of Cancer Research

Narrative B

While the results of Johnson & Johnson’s trial are promising, it must be remembered that amivantamab is a toxic drug, with a whole host of adverse side effects. These can include anything from rashes to thromboembolism, when treated in combination with lazertinib. Doctors, therefore, must take care in ensuring the safest possible application of this drug.

AJMC