Rachelle Hamadi, Hematology Oncology Fellow and Research Leader at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Another incredible plenary presentation from ASCO26!
The SARC041 trial results are out, and they mark a massive milestone: the first-ever positive Phase 3 trial for patients with recurrent or metastatic dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DDLS).
The investigator-initiated study evaluated the CDK4/6 inhibitor abemaciclib (Verzenio) against placebo, targeting the CDK4 amplification that drives almost all cases of DDLS. The results are practice-changing:
- PFS: 9.7 months for abemaciclib vs. a mere 1.5 months for placebo (HR 0.38). In the first-line setting, exploratory median PFS was over 16 months!
- OS Trend: Even with 85% of placebo patients crossing over to the active drug upon progression, 12-month OS rates favored abemaciclib (85% vs. 71%).
We know that standard chemo has a very limited effect in this setting (historical median PFS is around 2 months for second-line options). Seeing a targeted oral agent deliver a clinically meaningful delay in progression with expected, manageable toxicities (primarily decreased blood counts) is a huge win for our sarcoma patients.
It is inspiring to see rare cancers get the plenary spotlight they deserve!”
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