After receiving a significant regulatory approval, shares of NovoCure Limited (NASDAQ: NVCR) experienced notable gains on the charts. NVCR stock closed the regular trading session at $17.78 rising 10.71%. That surge continued in after-hours trading, with shares climbing an additional 28.23% to reach $22.80.
NovoCure FDA Approval of Optune Lua
Adult patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer or mNSCLC can now use Optune Lua in combination with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors or docetaxel, NovoCure (NVCR) revealed in a press release yesterday. The news followed an approval of the same from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
With its approval, a new treatment alternative becomes accessible to a patient population that includes around 30,000 individuals annually in the US alone who have exhausted all other options for therapy.
NVCR Fulfilling Unmet Needs
As one of the most challenging diseases to treat, lung cancer often leaves many patients with little options after first-line therapy. Even the standard second-line treatments, such as immunocheckpoint inhibitors, pemetrexed, docetaxel, and platinum-based chemotherapy, have poor success rates for a large number of patients.
By offering a therapy that has demonstrated the ability to prolong survival in patients who have advanced past platinum-based treatments, NovoCure’s Optune Lua gives hope to this underprivileged community.
An Advancement in the Treatment of Tumors (TTFields)
Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) are alternating electric fields that are produced by Optune Lua and given through wearable, non-invasive arrays. These fields disrupt the electrically charged components of dividing cancer cells, leading to their destruction. Unlike traditional therapies, TTFields do not cause systemic toxicity, making it a well-tolerated option for patients.
Promising Results from the LUNAR Study
The LUNAR study demonstrated that Optune Lua significantly improved overall survival rates in patients with metastatic NSCLC, marking the first substantial advancement in more than eight years for this patient group. This groundbreaking development by NovoCure (NVCR) provides hope to patients and physicians seeking more effective and less toxic treatments for advanced lung cancer.
