AENEAS 2 Study Reports 10-Month Progression-Free Survival Extension: The Lancet Oncology Publishes Shanghai Chest Hospital Team's Phase III Trial
Quick Answer / What Happened
According to a Jiefang Daily report published through Shangguan News on June 23, 2026, a clinical study led by the Shanghai Chest Hospital oncology team was published online in The Lancet Oncology. The study, AENEAS 2, evaluated aumolertinib combined with platinum-based doublet chemotherapy compared with aumolertinib alone as first-line treatment for patients with EGFR-sensitive mutation, locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer.
The report stated that the study provides high-quality local evidence for a first-line combination strategy in Chinese patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.
Why This Matters
The report described a clinical need in certain EGFR-mutated patients whose treatment outcomes have historically been less favorable, including patients with EGFR L858R mutation and patients who already had brain metastases at diagnosis.
To address this treatment question, the Shanghai Chest Hospital team combined aumolertinib with platinum-based doublet chemotherapy and carried out the AENEAS 2 study. According to the report, the study was conducted across 60 centers in China and enrolled 624 previously untreated patients with EGFR-sensitive mutation locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. Patients were randomly assigned to receive aumolertinib plus platinum-based chemotherapy or aumolertinib alone.
The report said the median progression-free survival in the combination-treatment group reached 28.9 months, compared with 18.9 months in the targeted-drug-alone group, a difference of 10 months. It also reported that the combination therapy reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 53%.
What International Patients Should Understand
According to the source, benefit trends were consistent across study subgroups. The report specifically highlighted the L858R mutation subgroup and the subgroup with brain metastases, stating that the combination approach also showed a survival benefit in these groups according to the study data. The report also said the study suggested aumolertinib plus chemotherapy may have intracranial efficacy for patients with brain metastases.
According to the report, the study safety results were described as manageable, and patient tolerability was described as relatively high.
This is a report about a defined clinical study population and treatment strategy. It should not be read as a general treatment recommendation for every lung cancer patient.
What This Does NOT Mean
This report does not mean every patient with lung cancer should receive combination therapy, or that the same outcome should be expected for individual patients. Treatment relevance depends on cancer type, mutation status, stage, prior treatment, organ function, brain metastasis status, treatment tolerance, and clinician review.
How CareNavigator Can Help Patients Evaluate Relevance
For patients and families who see an update like this and wonder whether it may be relevant to their own situation, CareNavigator helps turn the news into a practical decision pathway. We help patients clarify their current diagnosis, treatment bottleneck, and decision point; compare whether China has relevant hospital, specialist, and technology options worth reviewing; coordinate case review with appropriate medical teams; and support the broader journey across hospital communication, pathway comparison, logistics, and follow-up planning. The final medical judgment remains with licensed clinicians and the responsible hospital team.
China Study System Described By The Source
The Jiefang Daily report described AENEAS 2 as the third globally positive phase III study of third-generation EGFR targeted therapy combined with chemotherapy, and as the only similar phase III study based on a Chinese original third-generation EGFR targeted drug and entirely enrolling a Chinese patient population.
The report said the study provides high-quality local evidence for first-line combination treatment in Chinese patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.
It also described a sequence of three studies led by the same team in EGFR-sensitive mutation advanced non-small cell lung cancer: APOLLO in the second-line setting, AENEAS in the first-line monotherapy setting, and AENEAS 2 in the first-line combination setting. According to the report, these studies form a clinical evidence chain for the Chinese original third-generation targeted drug from later-line to first-line use, and from monotherapy to combination therapy.
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Related CareNavigator Resources
- China Advanced Treatment Updates
- Why China
- How CareNavigator Helps
- China Treatment Navigation Guide
- How to Compare Cancer Hospitals in China Before You Decide
Source-Led Update Note
This article summarizes publicly available reporting and cited source materials about medical developments in China. It is not CareNavigator's independent clinical assessment of the therapy and should not be read as medical advice for any individual patient. CareNavigator helps patients and families understand whether a reported China-based pathway may be relevant, compare options that may be worth reviewing, and prepare for informed conversations with qualified medical teams. Patient eligibility, risks, benefits, availability, and treatment decisions should be assessed by licensed clinicians and the responsible medical institution.
Source Notes
Primary media source: Jiefang Daily / 解放日报 article published through Shangguan News, titled "肺癌患者生存期延长10个月！《柳叶刀·肿瘤学》刊发胸科团队“中国方案”", published 2026-06-23, author Huang Yangzi.
Original URL shown in source materials: https://www.shobserver.cn/staticsg/res/html/web/newsDetail.html?id=1133036
The Lancet Oncology source material is retained from Stella-provided article screenshots. The screenshot identifies the paper as "Aumolertinib with or without chemotherapy in EGFR-mutated advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (AENEAS2): an open-label, multicentre, randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial," published online June 15, 2026, with DOI shown as 10.1016/S1470-2045(26)00090-2.