NovoCure Limited announced the results of the METIS phase 3 clinical trial in brain metastases from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) will be presented at the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago, to be held from May 31 to June 4. METIS was a randomized phase 3 clinical trial of stereotactic radiosurgery with or without Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) therapy for patients with 1-10 brain metastases from NSCLC. In March, Novocure announced METIS met its primary endpoint, demonstrating a statistically significant improvement in time to intracranial progression for adult patients with Tumor Treating Fields ("TTFields") therapy and supportive care compared to supportive care alone. The METIS data will be presented on June 3 as a late-breaking abstract during ASCO's Central Nervous System Tumors session from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. CDT.

Lead author Minesh Mehta, MD, Chief of Radiation Oncology and Deputy Director at Miami Cancer Institute, part of Baptist Health South Florida, will give the presentation. The oral presentation of the METIS clinical trial data is one of four abstracts on TTFields therapy to be included at the 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting.Abstract titles from Novocure-sponsored and partner programs include: Results from METIS (EF-25), an International, Multicenter Phase III Randomized Study Evaluating the Efficacy and Safety of Tumor Treating Fields(TTFields) Therapy in NSCLC Patients with Brain Metastases.Abstract 2008. Patients were stratified by the number of brain metastases (1-4 or 5-10 metastases), prior systemic therapy, and tumor histology.

Patients were allowed to crossover to the experimental TTFields therapy arm following confirmation of second intracranial progression. The METIS clinical trial data are expected to serve as the basis for future regulatory discussions. TTFields are electric fields that exert physical forces to kill cancer cells via a variety of mechanisms. TTFields do not significantly affect healthy cells because they have different properties (including division rate, morphology, and electrical properties) than cancer cells.