Early results from the phase 2 CONVERGE trial show that JNJ-1900 can be safely combined with standard concurrent chemoradiotherapy for patients with stage 3 unresectable non–small cell lung cancer.
JNJ-1900 is a nanoparticle-based radioenhancer injected directly into tumors or lymph nodes before radiation treatment. Investigators reported that the injection procedure was feasible and did not delay chemoradiotherapy or later immunotherapy with Imfinzi. No serious treatment-related adverse events linked to the radioenhancer were observed.
Among the first seven patients completing the full treatment regimen, the disease control rate reached 100%, while the overall response rate was 85.7%. Four patients achieved complete responses, a result notably higher than historical outcomes seen with standard chemoradiotherapy alone.
The therapy works by using hafnium oxide nanoparticles to amplify radiation energy inside tumor cells, increasing cancer cell destruction while minimizing damage to nearby healthy tissue. The randomized trial is continuing enrollment to further evaluate survival benefits.