Biomarker analysis from a Phase 1/1b study of tusamitamab ravtansine in patients with advanced non-small cell lung

Anas Gazzah1, Nils Ternès2, Joon Sang Lee3

  • 1Drug Development Department, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France.

Translational Oncology
|December 3, 2025
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Tusamitamab ravtansine showed antitumor activity in non-small cell lung cancer. High circulating CEA levels in patients with high CEACAM5 expression correlated with a greater objective response rate (ORR).

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Medical Biomarkers
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Tusamitamab ravtansine demonstrated antitumor activity in advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with high (HE) or moderate (ME) carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 5 (CEACAM5) expression.
  • The study explored CEACAM5 expression, biomarker associations, and their predictive value for objective response rate (ORR).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the association between CEACAM5 expression, circulating biomarkers (cCEA, cCEACAM5), and their correlation with the objective response rate (ORR) to tusamitamab ravtansine in advanced NSCLC.
  • To investigate the relationship between CEACAM5 expression and oncogenic drivers in NSCLC patients.

Main Methods:

  • Patients with HE (n=64) or ME (n=28) CEACAM5 expression received tusamitamab ravtansine 100 mg/m² intravenously every 2 weeks.
  • Assessed CEACAM5, circulating CEACAM5 (cCEACAM5), and circulating CEA (cCEA) using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and blood samples.
  • Analyzed associations between biomarkers and ORR, and investigated EGFR/KRAS alterations.

Main Results:

  • Strong association between cCEA and cCEACAM5 (ρ=0.99); moderate associations between IHC CEACAM5 and cCEA/cCEACAM5 (ρ=0.43/0.38).
  • In HE patients, ORR was higher with high cCEA (≥100 µg/L) (41.7%) compared to low cCEA (8.1%).
  • Elevated CEACAM5 mRNA in HE vs. ME (P=0.0027); EGFR/KRAS alterations differed between HE and ME groups.

Conclusions:

  • In CEACAM5 HE NSCLC, high cCEA correlated with a greater ORR to tusamitamab ravtansine.
  • Observed associations between various CEACAM5-related biomarkers (IHC, mRNA, circulating) but not with oncogenic drivers.

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