Summary
A new lung cancer drug is making headlines. At the 2026 ASCO meeting, researchers shared exciting results for a drug called ivonescimab. In a large study, it lowered the risk of death by 34% for people with a hard-to-treat type of lung cancer.
Researchers tested the drug in patients with advanced squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who had never had treatment before. Ivonescimab works in two ways at once. It blocks two different targets that help cancer grow. This makes it the first drug of its kind to beat the current standard treatment.
The study, called Harmoni-6, showed strong results. Patients who took the new drug plus chemotherapy lived longer. Their median survival reached 27.9 months. That number beat the older treatment by 4.2 months. Best of all, the benefit showed up across different patient groups.
Doctors feel hopeful but also careful. One expert, Dr. Julie Brahmer, called the results “groundbreaking” for this cancer type. However, she pointed out some limits. The study included mostly men and took place only in China.
The study also left out patients older than 75. In the U.S., many lung cancer patients are older, so doctors want to see more research. Even so, this new lung cancer drug offers fresh hope. It gives patients with few options a possible new path forward.
