A daily pill shrank tumors in lung cancer with rare EGFR gene changes
Original title: Firmonertinib in advanced non-small cell lung cancer with epidermal growth factor receptor P-loop and αC-helix compressing mutations.
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This was tested in people. That is the most reliable kind of research we share.
This was an early trial in a small number of people, and the drug is not approved for this gene change yet.
The short version
An early trial tested a once-a-day pill for lung cancer with a rare gene change, including cancer that had spread to the brain.
What was studied. The FURTHER study was an early trial in people with lung cancer that had spread. All had a rare kind of EGFR gene change called PACC. As their first treatment, 25 people took 160 mg of firmonertinib each day and 22 people took 240 mg.
What they found. Tumors shrank in 43% of the people on the lower dose and 68% of the people on the higher dose. In the higher dose group, the shrinking lasted 14.6 months. The time before the cancer grew again was 11.1 months with the lower dose and 16.0 months with the higher dose. Among people whose cancer had spread to the brain, tumors shrank in 47%, or 8 of 17. Side effects led to a lower dose in 19% and 24% of people. Side effects led 3% of the lower dose group and 0% of the higher dose group to stop the drug.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: This pill may help some people with this rare gene change, and it can reach the brain. That matters, because this group has few treatment choices today. The results were strong enough that researchers want to keep studying it.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean a new treatment is ready for you. It was an early trial with a small number of people, 25 in one group and 22 in the other. There was no comparison with standard treatment. The drug is not approved for this gene change, so your doctor cannot simply prescribe it. These results are not a promise of longer life, and they are not a cure.
Source: PubMed, October 16, 2026 · Read the original
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