A new “smart jab” treatment has shown remarkable success in shrinking head and neck cancer tumours within six weeks, according to early trial results unveiled at the European Society for Medical Oncology conference in Berlin.
The drug, amivantamab, is a triple-action therapy that targets cancer in three ways — blocking two key tumour growth pathways (EGFR and MET) while also boosting the immune system’s ability to attack cancer cells. Unlike traditional chemotherapy, it can be administered as a simple injection under the skin, making treatment faster and more convenient.
The Orig-AMI 4 trial, funded by Janssen, involved patients from 11 countries, including the UK. Among 86 participants whose head and neck cancers had returned or spread after standard therapies, 76% saw their tumours shrink or stop growing, with responses typically visible within six weeks. The treatment was generally well tolerated, with most side effects described as mild to moderate. Patients receiving amivantamab alone had an average progression-free survival of 6.8 months.
“This could represent a real shift in how we treat head and neck cancer,” said Prof Kevin Harrington of the Institute of Cancer Research and the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust. “For patients who have endured numerous treatments, to see this level of benefit is incredibly encouraging.”
He added that the jab’s ease of delivery could transform cancer care: “Unlike many treatments requiring hours in a hospital chair, amivantamab can be given as an injection — potentially even at home in the future.”
One trial participant, Carl Walsh, 59, from Birmingham, said the treatment has already made a huge difference. “Before starting the trial, I couldn’t talk properly and eating was difficult, but the swelling has gone down a lot. Sometimes I even forget I have cancer.”
If further studies confirm these results, experts say amivantamab could become a major breakthrough for patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer — a form of the disease that has long lacked effective treatment options.
