Bowel cancer drug found to be effective in 100% of patients in 'unprecedented' breakthrough

The world is one step closer to finding a cure for cancer after an immunotherapy drug rid patients of bowel cancer 100 percent of the time without the need for surgery and chemotherapy.( )

Jemperli (also called dostarlimab) from GSK showed “unprecedented results”, the firm said, with no evidence of disease in all patients treated.

Everyone on the drug had locally advanced mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) rectal cancer - a serious form of bowel cancer, according to data presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) conference in Chicago.

Jemperli is already approved on the NHS for women with some types of advanced or recurrent womb cancer.( )

The data showed all 42 patients in a trial led by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre in the US had a complete response to treatment, with no evidence of tumours on scans.

The first 24 patients have been followed up so far for 26.3 months on average.

Studies suggest (dMMR) rectal cancer accounts for 5-10% of all rectal cancers.( )

Hesham Abdullah, a senior vice president at GSK, said: “The data showing no evidence of disease in 42 patients is remarkable.

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