Key points from article :
The FDA recently approved Novocure’s wearable medical device, Optune Lua, as a treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This approval targets patients whose cancer has progressed after platinum-based chemotherapy. Optune Lua uses alternating electrical fields, known as Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields), to disrupt cancer cell division, causing the cells to die. Healthy cells remain unaffected due to their different properties.
The device is worn for about 18 hours a day, with arrays placed on the skin to deliver electrical signals. In clinical trials, TTFields were used in combination with either immunotherapy or the chemotherapy drug docetaxel. The trials showed that the device extended median overall survival by 3.3 months, a significant improvement for patients with limited treatment options.
Specifically, the Optune Lua and immunotherapy combination extended median survival by 8 months compared to immunotherapy alone, while the combination with docetaxel extended survival by 2 months, although this result was not statistically significant.
The most common side effect was skin irritation under the electrodes, with 63.1% of participants experiencing these issues, most of which were mild. Only 4% of patients had severe reactions requiring a pause in treatment.
Optune Lua builds on Novocure’s earlier successes with TTFields, initially approved to treat recurrent glioblastoma in 2011 and later for malignant pleural mesothelioma in 2019. The company is also exploring the potential of TTFields in treating other cancers, including pancreatic cancer and brain metastases from NSCLC, with additional trials ongoing.
This approval marks a crucial advancement in NSCLC treatment, offering patients and doctors a new, non-invasive option that may improve outcomes for those with advanced stages of the disease.
