Cemiplimab Plus Chemo Shows 5-Year NSCLC Survival Benefit

Ana Baramidze, MD, head of the Department of Clinical Research at Todua Clinic in Tblisi, Georgia, discusses 5-year follow-up data from the phase 3 EMPOWER-Lung 3 Part 2 trial (NCT03409614) presented at the IASLC 2025 World Conference on Lung Cancer.

Data from the study demonstrate that the combination of cemiplimab (Libtayo) and chemotherapy provides sustained and durable survival benefits for patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). These findings show a significant improvement in both overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) compared with chemotherapy alone.

At a median follow-up of 60.9 months, patients treated with cemiplimab plus chemotherapy had a median OS of 21.1 months, a substantial increase from the 12.9 months observed in the placebo/chemotherapy group. This represents a 34% reduction in the risk of death. Similarly, the median PFS for the cemiplimab arm was 8.2 months vs 5.5 months in the control arm.

The study also highlighted improved response rates with the cemiplimab combination, achieving an objective response rate (ORR) of 43.6% compared with 22.1% with chemotherapy alone. The median duration of response (DOR) was also significantly longer, at 16.4 months with cemiplimab vs 7.3 months without. These benefits were consistent across different histological subtypes, including both nonsquamous and squamous NSCLC.

In her presentation, Baramidze, a lead investigator, noted that the trial continues to show long-term survival benefits regardless of histology. The long-term safety profile of the cemiplimab combination was consistent with previous reports, with treatment-emergent adverse effects being manageable. These 5-year results reinforce the cemiplimab/chemotherapy regimen as an effective first-line treatment option for patients with advanced NSCLC, offering a meaningful extension of survival.

REFERENCE:

Baramidze A, Makharadze T, Gogishvili M, et al. Cemiplimab plus chemotherapy vs chemotherapy in advanced NSCLC: 5-year results from phase 3 EMPOWER-Lung 3 Part 2 trial. Presented at: 2025 IASLC World Conference on Lung Cancer; September 6-10,2025; Barcelona, Spain. Oral presentation MA10.09.