Akeso and Summit Therapeutics’ ivonescimab posted a statistically significant overall survival improvement versus a PD-1 inhibitor plus chemotherapy in Harmoni-6, a Phase 3 trial run entirely in China for previously untreated advanced squamous non-small cell lung cancer. The interim OS analysis showed a 34% reduction in death risk (p=0.0017), and the companies framed the result as the first China-only dataset selected for ASCO plenary. The regimen paired ivonescimab, a PD-1/VEGF bispecific, with chemotherapy and was compared against BeOne Medicines’ Tevimbra plus chemo (with Tevimbra acting as the PD-1 control). Analysts and clinicians said the magnitude of benefit exceeded expectations tied to a historically tough bar for VEGF-targeted strategies to translate progression-free gains into overall survival. External oncology commentary also highlighted the broader clinical debate created by earlier Harmoni trials—particularly the performance of ivonescimab alone—and the challenge of confirming OS benefit when prior VEGF inhibitor approaches have struggled. The latest ASCO release and simultaneous journal publication in The Lancet further elevated the data’s regulatory and commercial relevance for a next-generation IO-bispecific positioning.