Roche's next-gen KRAS G12C inhibitor cuts death risk by 44% in lung cancer trial

Roche reported new detail at the ESMO26 congress in Madrid on its next-generation KRAS G12C inhibitor, presenting data from a head-to-head trial against existing drugs with the same molecular target from Amgen and Bristol Myers Squibb.

According to Endpoints News, the trial, conducted in patients with previously treated mutant non-small cell lung cancer, found that Roche’s inhibitor reduced the risk of death by 44% compared with the rival drugs.

The KRAS G12C mutation is one of several molecular alterations that drive a subset of non-small cell lung cancers, and Amgen’s sotorasib and Bristol Myers Squibb’s adagrasib were the first approved drugs designed to target it. Roche’s candidate represents a newer generation of compounds aimed at the same mutation, and the head-to-head comparison was presented as evidence of a meaningful advantage over the earlier drugs in this class.

Endpoints News reported the figures as part of Roche’s presentation at the European Society for Medical Oncology’s 2026 congress, where the company detailed the magnitude of the trial’s results against the established competitors. The report did not specify additional details of the trial design, patient population size, or statistical measures beyond the reduction in mortality risk reported by the outlet.