Turn on cookies to sign in
Signing in saves your progress to your Curie account. We can only do that with cookies on — turn them on to continue.
A drug duo is reshaping treatment for a tough-to-treat lung cancer subtype. Phase 3 trials SANOVO and SAFFRON show that combining savolitinib with osimertinib significantly improves survival outcomes in EGFR-mutated, MET-overexpressing non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) — both in the frontline setting and after osimertinib progression. An FDA new drug application has already been submitted, signaling a potential new standard of care on the horizon.
Two major phase 3 trials presented at the 2026 ESMO Congress are making a strong case for combining savolitinib (Orpathys) with osimertinib (Tagrisso) in EGFR-mutated, MET-overexpressing non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The SANOVO trial showed that this frontline combination nearly doubled median progression-free survival (PFS) compared to osimertinib alone in patients with MET IHC 3+ disease. Meanwhile, the SAFFRON trial demonstrated that the same combo outperformed platinum/pemetrexed chemotherapy in patients whose disease progressed on osimertinib — improving both PFS and overall survival (OS).
The rationale is clear: MET overexpression or amplification is one of the most common resistance mechanisms to EGFR-targeted therapy, and dual blockade of both pathways appears to meaningfully change the disease course. An FDA new drug application for the combination was submitted in September 2026, backed by SAFFRON data.
By the Numbers
Why it matters: These results establish savolitinib plus osimertinib as a compelling new treatment option — and potentially a new standard of care — for a biomarker-defined subset of NSCLC patients who historically have had limited options, both upfront and after disease progression.
