Welcome to the first newsletter in 2025 from the EGFR Patient Gateway – your place for the latest information about EGFR-positive lung cancer.  

Since our last edition, there have been many developments in this space.

One of the challenges of targeted therapies for lung cancer driven by genes like EGFR is that eventually the cancer outsmarts the drug and the treatment stops working. This “drug resistance” is an ongoing issue for patients who are being treated with drugs like osimertinib – eventually, the drug is no longer effective.

That is why researchers and doctors are working hard to develop new approaches. One approach to combat drug resistance (sometimes called treatment resistance) is to combine targeted therapies such as osimertinib with other drugs, including chemotherapy. Alternatively, researchers have identified a newer drug combination, amivantamab plus lazertinib, that was found to increase overall survival compared to osimertinib. This idea of combining drugs is not new. Multi-drug cocktails (including multiple forms of chemotherapy) have been around for decades. But these new combinations for EGFR+ non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are leading to improved outcomes. You can read about different combinations being used in this newsletter.

Doctors are also discussing which first-line treatment is best for patients. Treatment sequencing, the idea of determining which drugs to use and in what order to achieve optimal outcomes, is always top of mind for patients and their care providers. Newer technologies, including using ctDNA (DNA shed from tumor cells into a patient's blood), can also help doctors and scientists determine which drug combination is likely to be most beneficial for patients.

We are also seeing increased use of EGFR targeted therapies that goes beyond treating metastatic cancer to treating earlier stages of disease too. Doctors and researchers hope using these drugs sooner may lead to improved outcomes and decrease the chances of drug resistance.

In this edition of the newsletter, we also highlight new treatment approaches that are gaining a foothold in lung cancer. These include the use of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) in which a cancer drug is tethered to an antibody, which helps direct the drug directly to the tumor and spare healthy cells. Another approach is a bispecific antibody, where two drug targets can be engineered into a single molecule. This gives even more control over where the drugs are delivered, which will hopefully lead to fewer side effects.

Speaking of side effects, researchers are also working to develop drugs that more effectively target brain metastases, a common occurrence in EGFR+ NSCLC.

Finally, we are also seeing progress in the development of new drugs to target other members of the broader EGFR family, including HER2 and exon 20 insertion mutations.

As you can see, progress continues at a rapid pace for those impacted by EGFR+ NSCLC.

Get Connected

You are Invited!  
Ready to experience an event that’s all about YOU? HOPE Summit is where lung cancer survivors and caregivers come together to connect, learn, and thrive. Think of it as a weekend filled with inspiration, knowledge, and a whole lot of hugs and high-fives. This year's event takes place May 2-4 in Bethesda, MD, and is free to attend. Registration is now open! Learn more.

Join Us for the EGFR Virtual Meetup
This is an easy way to build your community. On the first Wednesday of each month, you can connect with others who understand what it’s like to live with EGFR+ lung cancer. The next EGFR Meetup is happening on Wednesday, March 5, at 12 pm ET.

Register for this virtual meetup to get a confirmation email with details about how to join the virtual meeting. New attendees are always welcome and encouraged to join! Can’t make it? Don’t worry, there’s a full list of virtual meetups to fit your schedule.

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… and there is always so much more to explore on the EGFR Patient Gateway.

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Want to learn about the Foundation’s efforts to transform the way people are diagnosed and live with lung cancer? Check out LUNGevity’s monthly newsletter.

If you need further assistance along your lung cancer journey, please email us at support@lungevity.org. Our team is always here to assist you.