First pathological complete response reported for Yuhan’s Leclaza

A Korean research team has reported the country’s first case of a pathological complete response (pCR) following treatment with Yuhan Corp.’s non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) drug Leclaza (ingredient: lazertinib), highlighting the drug’s potential as a curative first-line treatment option for patients with EGFR-mutant NSCLC.

A pCR refers to the absence of detectable cancer cells in tissue samples obtained through surgical resection or biopsy after systemic treatments such as chemotherapy, targeted therapy, or radiation therapy.

The research team, led by Professor Ahn June-hong of the Department of Internal Medicine at Yeungnam University College of Medicine, published a case report demonstrating that a patient with advanced EGFR-mutant NSCLC achieved pCR after receiving Leclaza prior to surgery, on Translational Lung Cancer Research (TLCR).

The report, titled “Pathologic complete response following salvage surgery after lazertinib treatment in advanced EGFR-mutated lung adenocarcinoma: case report and literature review,” treated a 63-year-old patient who had been experiencing language impairment for a week and was subsequently diagnosed with advanced EGFR-mutant NSCLC.

After an initial brain tumor resection, the patient received six months of Leclaza treatment. The team then performed a right upper lobectomy with mediastinal lymph node dissection, during which no residual cancer cells were found—confirming a complete pathological response.

The researchers also continued administering Leclaza post-surgery and reported no recurrence of the disease for at least one year following the initial treatment.

“This is the first case confirming pCR with Leclaza in a patient with previously unresectable EGFR-mutant NSCLC, suggesting its potential as an effective and feasible treatment option for selected patients,” the researchers stated in the journal.