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HEALTH PROFESSIONAL · SOURCE READING

Necitumumab

Source: Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treatment (PDQ®)–Health Professional Version, National Cancer Institute.

Source updated: May 15, 2025 · Captured 2026-09-09.

Selected source text with whitespace normalised. This Triangle page is not an NCI PDQ summary.

Context: Treatment of Newly Diagnosed Stage IV, Relapsed, and Recurrent NSCLC / Treatment Options for Newly Diagnosed Stage IV, Relapsed, and Recurrent NSCLC (First-Line Therapy) / Combination chemotherapy with monoclonal antibodies

Evidence (necitumumab):

Two phase III trials have evaluated the addition of the second-generation, recombinant, human immunoglobulin G1 EGFR antibody, necitumumab, to platinum-doublet chemotherapy in the first-line treatment of patients with advanced nonsquamous cell and squamous cell NSCLC.[39,40]

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Two phase III trials have evaluated the addition of the second-generation, recombinant, human immunoglobulin G1 EGFR antibody, necitumumab, to platinum-doublet chemotherapy in the first-line treatment of patients with advanced nonsquamous cell and squamous cell NSCLC.[39,40]

The SQUIRE trial (NCT00981058) randomly assigned 1,093 patients with advanced squamous NSCLC to receive either first-line chemotherapy with cisplatin and gemcitabine or the same regimen with the addition of necitumumab (800 mg on day 1 and day 8 of each cycle).[40]

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Two phase III trials have evaluated the addition of the second-generation, recombinant, human immunoglobulin G1 EGFR antibody, necitumumab, to platinum-doublet chemotherapy in the first-line treatment of patients with advanced nonsquamous cell and squamous cell NSCLC.[39,40] › The SQUIRE trial (NCT00981058) randomly assigned 1,093 patients with advanced squamous NSCLC to receive either first-line chemotherapy with cisplatin and gemcitabine or the same regimen with the addition of necitumumab (800 mg on day 1 and day 8 of each cycle).[40]

Median OS was prolonged with the addition of necitumumab (11.5 months vs. 9.9 months; P = .01).

Two phase III trials have evaluated the addition of the second-generation, recombinant, human immunoglobulin G1 EGFR antibody, necitumumab, to platinum-doublet chemotherapy in the first-line treatment of patients with advanced nonsquamous cell and squamous cell NSCLC.[39,40] › The SQUIRE trial (NCT00981058) randomly assigned 1,093 patients with advanced squamous NSCLC to receive either first-line chemotherapy with cisplatin and gemcitabine or the same regimen with the addition of necitumumab (800 mg on day 1 and day 8 of each cycle).[40]

PFS was also prolonged with the addition of necitumumab (5.7 months vs. 5.5 months); however, the overall response rate was similar in both groups (31% vs. 28%).

Two phase III trials have evaluated the addition of the second-generation, recombinant, human immunoglobulin G1 EGFR antibody, necitumumab, to platinum-doublet chemotherapy in the first-line treatment of patients with advanced nonsquamous cell and squamous cell NSCLC.[39,40] › The SQUIRE trial (NCT00981058) randomly assigned 1,093 patients with advanced squamous NSCLC to receive either first-line chemotherapy with cisplatin and gemcitabine or the same regimen with the addition of necitumumab (800 mg on day 1 and day 8 of each cycle).[40]

Grades 3 and 4 adverse events were higher in the necitumumab-containing arm (72% vs. 62%).

Two phase III trials have evaluated the addition of the second-generation, recombinant, human immunoglobulin G1 EGFR antibody, necitumumab, to platinum-doublet chemotherapy in the first-line treatment of patients with advanced nonsquamous cell and squamous cell NSCLC.[39,40] › The SQUIRE trial (NCT00981058) randomly assigned 1,093 patients with advanced squamous NSCLC to receive either first-line chemotherapy with cisplatin and gemcitabine or the same regimen with the addition of necitumumab (800 mg on day 1 and day 8 of each cycle).[40]

Necitumumab is associated with higher toxicity and relatively modest benefit.

Two phase III trials have evaluated the addition of the second-generation, recombinant, human immunoglobulin G1 EGFR antibody, necitumumab, to platinum-doublet chemotherapy in the first-line treatment of patients with advanced nonsquamous cell and squamous cell NSCLC.[39,40]

The INSPIRE trial (NCT00982111) randomly assigned 633 patients with advanced nonsquamous NSCLC to receive either first-line chemotherapy with cisplatin and pemetrexed or to cisplatin and pemetrexed with the addition of necitumumab (800 mg on day 1 and day 8 of each cycle).[39]

Source links and citations

Two phase III trials have evaluated the addition of the second-generation, recombinant, human immunoglobulin G1 EGFR antibody, necitumumab, to platinum-doublet chemotherapy in the first-line treatment of patients with advanced nonsquamous cell and squamous cell NSCLC.[39,40] › The INSPIRE trial (NCT00982111) randomly assigned 633 patients with advanced nonsquamous NSCLC to receive either first-line chemotherapy with cisplatin and pemetrexed or to cisplatin and pemetrexed with the addition of necitumumab (800 mg on day 1 and day 8 of each cycle).[39]

This study showed no benefit from the addition of necitumumab to standard first-line chemotherapy for advanced nonsquamous NSCLC.

Two phase III trials have evaluated the addition of the second-generation, recombinant, human immunoglobulin G1 EGFR antibody, necitumumab, to platinum-doublet chemotherapy in the first-line treatment of patients with advanced nonsquamous cell and squamous cell NSCLC.[39,40] › The INSPIRE trial (NCT00982111) randomly assigned 633 patients with advanced nonsquamous NSCLC to receive either first-line chemotherapy with cisplatin and pemetrexed or to cisplatin and pemetrexed with the addition of necitumumab (800 mg on day 1 and day 8 of each cycle).[39]

OS was 11.3 months (95% CI, 9.5–13.4) for patients in the necitumumab-containing arm versus 11.5 months (95% CI, 10.1–13.1) for patients in the chemotherapy alone arm; P = .96. Similarly, there was no difference between the arms in terms of objective response or PFS.

Two phase III trials have evaluated the addition of the second-generation, recombinant, human immunoglobulin G1 EGFR antibody, necitumumab, to platinum-doublet chemotherapy in the first-line treatment of patients with advanced nonsquamous cell and squamous cell NSCLC.[39,40] › The INSPIRE trial (NCT00982111) randomly assigned 633 patients with advanced nonsquamous NSCLC to receive either first-line chemotherapy with cisplatin and pemetrexed or to cisplatin and pemetrexed with the addition of necitumumab (800 mg on day 1 and day 8 of each cycle).[39]

Serious adverse events and rates of grades 3 and 4 adverse events, including thromboembolic events, were higher in patients in the necitumumab-containing arm; the incidence of treatment-related deaths was also higher (5% vs. 3%).

Two phase III trials have evaluated the addition of the second-generation, recombinant, human immunoglobulin G1 EGFR antibody, necitumumab, to platinum-doublet chemotherapy in the first-line treatment of patients with advanced nonsquamous cell and squamous cell NSCLC.[39,40] › The INSPIRE trial (NCT00982111) randomly assigned 633 patients with advanced nonsquamous NSCLC to receive either first-line chemotherapy with cisplatin and pemetrexed or to cisplatin and pemetrexed with the addition of necitumumab (800 mg on day 1 and day 8 of each cycle).[39]

On the basis of these results, necitumumab is not recommended as combination therapy with standard first-line chemotherapy for patients with advanced nonsquamous NSCLC.

Studies cited in this source section

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Preserved source evidence · Not medical advice