Cancún’s New Lung Cancer Treatment Skips Chemo

Cancún, Mexico — In response to a 95 percent mortality rate for lung cancer in Mexico, representing a national public health crisis, Mexico is set to become the first country in Latin America to have an innovative treatment that increases survival by at least five years, according to international specialists. The announcement was made today in Cancún, where the global launch of two medications, Rybrevant (aminhfabag) and Lazcluze, is taking place. These drugs eliminate the need for chemotherapy.

This development positions Mexico at the forefront of lung cancer treatment in Latin America. The disease is often diagnosed at late stages or, in some cases, not determined as the cause of death at all, leading to a lack of reliable statistics in the country. There is an estimated under-diagnosis of 7,800 deaths per year, according to Dr. Jorge Alatorre.

Against this backdrop, the arrival of the medications Rybrevant and Lazcluze, supported by the landmark Mariposa Clinical Study, promises a radical change in patient survival and quality of life without the need for chemotherapy.

A Critical Health Situation

The current situation for lung cancer in the country is critical. Late diagnosis at advanced stages and the high mortality rate underscore the urgency for more effective treatments and advances in research, as emphasized by the doctors and researchers.

The new approach is based on precision medicine and abandons the "one-size-fits-all" model in favor of molecular innovation. The key lies in genetic identification, making it possible to extract DNA and identify the specific mutation causing the lung cancer, particularly those in the EGFR receptor.

A Targeted Treatment Approach

The medications Rybrevant and Lazcluze are specifically designed to address these mutations, which translates into a significant improvement in survival times.

According to medical oncologist and researcher Joshua K. Sabary, the Mariposa Clinical Study, which involved a thousand patients, demonstrated the potential of this combination therapy, which is a targeted treatment that does not use chemotherapy.

This advance is crucial, as until now, more than 60 percent of patients did not reach a second line of treatment, dying before having more options. With conventional treatments, survival was about a year and a half and was usually accompanied by significant toxicity and a low quality of life. With this new therapy, specialists project an increase in survival to five years for some patients.

Availability and Accessibility

Mexico is the first country in Latin America to have this treatment available, representing excellent news, particularly for patients with lung cancer caused by an EGFR mutation, for whom chemotherapy no longer offers a significant improvement in survival.

The treatment is administered intravenously and subcutaneously, aiming for lower toxicity for the patient, with a frequency of once every four weeks. This regimen seeks to "change the experience for the patients," improving their quality of life.

Leandro Aldunate, in charge of the medical and regulatory area of Johnson & Johnson, stated that the treatment is already tested and available throughout the country. He added that efforts are underway to establish agreements or alliances with governments to integrate the medication into the public sector, ensuring it reaches all patients who need it.