Novartis says Lutathera reduced risk of disease progression, death in study

Novartis presented data from the Phase III NETTER-2 trial showing that Lutathera plus long-acting release octreotide reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 72% as first-line therapy in patients with somatostatin receptor-positive well-differentiated grade 2/3 advanced gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors versus high-dose octreotide LAR alone. Data were presented at the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology, or ASCO, Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium. No new or unexpected safety findings were observed in the study and data are consistent with the already well-established safety profile of Lutathera. The NETTER-2 trial is ongoing for further evaluation of secondary endpoints including overall survival and long-term safety. “This is the first positive Phase III trial of a radioligand therapy in the first-line setting, and the overall efficacy and safety results are amongst the most clinically relevant observed to date in this kind of advanced cancer, addressing a significant unmet need for patients with newly diagnosed advanced GEP-NETs. The positive results are a significant advancement and further reaffirm our strategy to research and develop radioligand therapies in earlier lines of treatment or stages of disease to improve outcomes for patients,” said Jeff Legos, Global Head of Oncology Development at Novartis.