Health · Pharma & Biotech · 7 hrs ago
Drug combination shows long-term survival in advanced thymic cancer trial
A phase 2 trial tested lenvatinib and pembrolizumab together in 43 people with advanced thymic cancer that had progressed after chemotherapy.
The study took place across multiple centers and included people with B3-thymoma or thymic carcinoma, rare cancers that develop in the thymus in the chest.
After a median follow-up of about two years, median progression-free survival was 22.1 months, while median overall survival was 40.2 months.
The cancer shrank or stayed stable in most participants, and 53% were alive three years after treatment began.
The findings matter because there is no established standard second-line treatment for advanced disease that progresses after platinum-based chemotherapy.
However, serious treatment-related side effects occurred in 44.2% of participants, and some stopped at least one study drug because of toxicity.
The trial was small and had no comparison group, so it cannot show that the combination is better than other treatments; further studies are needed to identify who may benefit and how best to use it.
The phase 2 PECATI trial reported long-term survival outcomes for lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab in previously treated advanced thymic tumors.
After a median follow-up of 24.6 months, median progression-free survival was 22.1 months and median overall survival was 40.2 months.
The trial enrolled 43 patients with metastatic B3-thymoma or thymic carcinoma whose disease had progressed after platinum-based chemotherapy.
The combination produced an objective response rate of 25.6% and a disease control rate of 93%.
Treatment-related adverse events of grade 3 or higher occurred in 44.2% of patients.
Researchers said the small, single-arm study cannot establish whether the combination is superior to other treatments.
- Who
- The PECATI trial enrolled 43 patients with previously treated metastatic B3-thymoma or thymic carcinoma.
- What
- Final results showed survival outcomes with lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab.
- When
- The results were published on November 13, 2026. Median follow-up was 24.6 months.
- Where
- Not stated
- Why
- The trial examined whether the drug combination could provide sustained disease control after platinum-based chemotherapy.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The trial reported median progression-free survival of 14.9 months.
After a median follow-up of 24.6 months, median progression-free survival was 22.1 months and median overall survival was 40.2 months.
News-Medical published the final trial results.
- Trial
- Phase 2 PECATI
- Participants
- 43 patients
- Treatment
- Lenvatinib 20 mg daily and pembrolizumab 200 mg every three weeks
- Median follow-up
- 24.6 months
- Median overall survival
- 40.2 months
- Grade 3 or higher treatment-related adverse events
- 44.2% of patients
What people are saying
the combination may represent a potential treatment option for selected patients whose disease has progressed following platinum-based chemotherapy, although careful monitoring for treatment-related toxicities remains essential