Rybrevant Faspro For Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)
- A subcutaneous version, or a version that can be given as a shot rather than an IV, of a drug called amivantamab (brand name: Rybrevant) was recently approved for certain patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
- The approval means eligible patients could get the same positive treatment outcomes without spending hours at a treatment center hooked up to an IV.
- Rybrevant Faspro, the new subcutaneous version of amivantamab, was approved for patients with lung cancer driven by changes in the EGFR gene.
- Rybrevant (amivantamab) is a bispecific antibody, meaning it targets two different cancer-driving pathways at once: EGFR and MET. Unlike pills, it is given as an infusion and works outside the cancer cell, attaching directly to receptors on the cell surface and recruiting the immune system to help destroy tumor cells.
- Rybrevant Faspro delivers the same active antibody, amivantamab, but as a subcutaneous injection rather than a long intravenous infusion. The injection takes about five minutes to administer compared to hours the IV version required.
Rybrevant Faspro, the new subcutaneous version of amivantamab, was approved for patients with a specific form of lung cancer driven by changes in the EGFR gene, which produces a protein found on the surface of many cells, including those in the lungs. It plays a role in telling cells when to grow and divide.
Read MoreWhat Is Rybrevant?
Rybrevant (amivantamab) is a bispecific antibody, meaning it targets two different cancer-driving pathways at once: EGFR and MET. Unlike pills, it is given as an infusion and works outside the cancer cell, attaching directly to receptors on the cell surface and recruiting the immune system to help destroy tumor cells.
The MARIPOSA trial tested Rybrevant (amivantamab) in combination with lazertinib (another targeted therapy) as a chemotherapy-free, first-line treatment for EGFR-mutated NSCLC.
In MARIPOSA, this combination demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in overall survival compared with prior standards. What caught the oncology community’s attention was the magnitude: median overall survival was projected to exceed four years. As Dr. Bauml mentioned, this was something many lung cancer specialists had never expected to see for this disease.
Despite its effectiveness, intravenous Rybrevant has practical limitations. The infusion can take several hours, particularly during early doses, and infusion-related reactions are common, especially with the first treatment. In earlier studies, these reactions occurred in more than half of patients, often requiring slow infusion rates, close monitoring, and long clinic visits.
For patients and their caregivers, that can mean entire days spent in infusion centers. For clinics and nurses, it can mean complex scheduling and intensive monitoring. Rybrevant Faspro changes the picture.
How Does Rybrevant Faspro Work?
Rybrevant Faspro delivers the same active antibody, amivantamab, but as a subcutaneous injection rather than a long intravenous infusion. The injection takes about five minutes to administer compared to hours the IV version required.
“You’re comparing hours in an infusion chair for Rybrevant IV or other chemotherapies … to a five-minute injection. So now, not only are we avoiding the toxicity of chemotherapy, we’re also giving the patients back that time,” Dr. Bauml explains.
The key question, of course, was whether this easier method of delivery would change how the drug works in the body or how well it controls cancer. This new way of administering the drug was addressed and validated in the PALOMA-3 trial.
This approval reflects a broader shift in cancer care — not just extending life, but considering the patient’s time and lifestyle as well. Avoiding chemotherapy toxicity, avoiding hours-long infusions, and reducing treatment-related reactions all contribute to quality of life in ways that are hard to capture in survival curves alone.
For people living with EGFR-mutated NSCLC, this means it is now possible to receive a chemotherapy-free regimen, supported by strong survival data from MARIPOSA, with a five-minute injection rather than hours in an infusion suite — while maintaining comparable drug exposure and better tolerability.
Questions To Ask Your Doctor
- Am I a candidate for amivantamab-based therapy?
- How does subcutaneous Rybrevant Faspro compare with IV treatment in my specific situation?
- If I have started on the IV therapy, can I switch to the under-the-skin option?
- What side effects should I expect, and how are infusion-related reactions managed?
- How often would I need to come to the clinic, and how long will visits last?
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