Akeso and Summit Therapeutics disclosed further Phase 3 data for ivonescimab (HARMONi-2), reporting an overall survival benefit versus Merck’s Keytruda (pembrolizumab) in lung cancer. In the broader trial population, the relative risk of death was 27% lower with ivonescimab, with median overall survival of 30.8 months versus 22.6 months on Keytruda. The companies also highlighted stronger results in patients with high expression of the PD-L1/VEGF-linked targets, with a 42% reduction in relative risk of death in the HARMONi-7 setup for a PD-L1 high subgroup. Akeso’s China-run datasets have drawn questions from analysts over global generalizability. The updated results—presented at the World Conference on Lung Cancer—aim to address those concerns and strengthen the case for ivonescimab as a potential successor backbone therapy in lung cancer where Keytruda has established standard-of-care positioning.