A post hoc analysis of the Phase 2 eNRGy trial, presented at the 2026 TTLC Meeting, suggests that continuing Zenocutuzumab-zbco (Bizengri) after initial disease progression can provide meaningful benefits for patients with NRG1 fusion-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Standard practice often stops a therapy when imaging shows progression, but the study found that many patients still responded to the drug beyond this point. Of 27 patients who continued therapy after progression, eight remained on treatment for at least six more months. One patient stayed on the drug for over 23 months, and another had been treated for nearly four years in total. Overall, median treatment duration increased from seven months before progression to ten months when including the post-progression period.
The study highlighted a pattern called oligoprogression, where only a few tumor lesions grow while the rest remain stable. In these cases, local interventions such as radiotherapy, Gamma Knife, or surgical resection allowed 22% of patients to continue benefiting from zenocutuzumab. This approach shows that progression on scans does not necessarily mean the drug has failed systemically, and targeted local treatment can extend the effectiveness of therapy.
Safety was favorable, with no patients discontinuing the drug due to side effects during the post-progression phase. Zenocutuzumab is already FDA-approved for patients with advanced NRG1 fusion-positive NSCLC and pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Experts say that continuing therapy in patients with limited progression, alongside local interventions, may provide long-term survival benefits and improved disease control.