Biopharmaceutical company Zai Lab Limited (Nasdaq: ZLAB)(HKEX: 9688) and oncology company Novocure (Nasdaq: NVCR) announced on Monday that the Phase 3 PANOVA-3 trial achieved its primary endpoint, showing a statistically significant improvement in median overall survival (mOS) for patients with unresectable, locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Patients treated with Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) therapy alongside gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel achieved an mOS of 16.20 months compared to 14.16 months for the control group, a 2.0-month improvement (hazard ratio=0.819; P=0.039) among 571 participants. TTFields therapy also demonstrated increasing survival benefits over time, with 13% and 33% higher survival rates at 12 and 24 months, respectively. Safety results were consistent with prior studies, confirming the therapy's tolerability.

Novocure intends to pursue regulatory approval in the US, EU, Japan and other markets based on these results, while Zai Lab plans filings in China. Pancreatic cancer remains among the deadliest cancers, with a five-year survival rate of 7.2% in China.

TTFields therapy leverages electric fields to disrupt cancer cell division while sparing healthy cells. Already approved for multiple solid tumour types, it has demonstrated enhanced efficacy when combined with existing cancer treatments.

Zai Lab and Novocure aim to expand access to this innovative therapy to address the critical unmet need for effective pancreatic cancer treatments globally.