Findings from the Phase 3 SARC041 trial show that abemaciclib (Verzenio) significantly delays disease progression in patients with advanced dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DD-LPS), a rare and aggressive soft-tissue cancer.
The drug targets CDK4, a protein amplified in nearly all DD-LPS cases that drives tumor growth. By inhibiting this pathway, abemaciclib slows cancer progression more effectively than placebo.
Patients receiving abemaciclib achieved a median progression-free survival of 9.7 months compared with 1.5 months in the placebo group, reducing the risk of progression or death by 62%. At 6 months, 60% of treated patients remained progression-free versus 22% on placebo, and at 12 months the rates were 39% versus 13%.
Median overall survival has not yet been reached in the treatment group, compared with 25.5 months for placebo, despite crossover to active treatment. Side effects were consistent with known profiles, mainly low blood counts and diarrhea, and were generally manageable with dose adjustments.