Shares of Novocure (NASDAQ:NVCR) rose about 5% on Thursday after the company reported positive topline data from its Phase 2 PANOVA-4 clinical trial evaluating Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) therapy in patients with metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
The study achieved its primary endpoint, demonstrating a statistically significant improvement in disease control rate compared with a historical benchmark. Patients treated with TTFields therapy alongside atezolizumab and gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel achieved a disease control rate of 74.4%, compared with 48% observed in patients treated with gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel alone in the Phase 3 MPACT trial used as the historical control.
The trial enrolled 78 patients who received the combination regimen as first-line treatment for metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Disease control rate was defined as the proportion of participants who achieved either stable disease lasting at least 16 weeks or a confirmed partial or complete response based on RECIST v1.1 criteria.
Among the secondary outcomes, the study reported an objective response rate of 34.6% and a median overall survival of 9.7 months in patients receiving the combination therapy. Median treatment duration for TTFields therapy was 25.6 weeks, while patients received a median of six cycles of systemic therapy with atezolizumab and gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel.
Novocure said TTFields therapy was generally well tolerated, with device-related safety findings consistent with results from earlier clinical studies.
The company plans to present further details from the PANOVA-4 trial at an upcoming scientific conference.