GSK Shares Surge on Positive Late-Stage Lung Cancer Drug Trials

Shares in GSK PLC surged after the company announced two sets of positive clinical trial results for its oncology drug candidates at the 2026 World Conference on Lung Cancer in Seoul, South Korea. The data significantly de-risks the development path for two key assets in its lung cancer portfolio, reinforcing the company's strategic focus on building out its cancer treatment franchise.

Key Clinical Readouts

GSK presented compelling efficacy data for two separate lung cancer treatments. The first, Jideytro (zidesamtinib), was acquired through the purchase of Nuvalent and targets a specific form of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

• In treatment-naïve patients with ROS1-positive NSCLC, Jideytro achieved a 94% objective response rate.
• This included a 15% complete response rate after a median follow-up of more than 15 months.
• GSK stated it will use this data to support a supplemental New Drug Application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a first-line indication.

Separately, results from the ARTEMIS-008 Phase III trial in China showed that Ris-Rez, licensed from Hansoh Pharmaceutical, cut the risk of death by 54% compared to topotecan in patients with relapsed small cell lung cancer. The significant finding was presented during a Presidential Symposium session at the conference.

Strategic Implications

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The dual data release provides a major boost to GSK's oncology pipeline, which the company identified as a key growth driver during its second-quarter 2026 earnings report. Today's results give investors fresh confidence in the near-term value of these assets, which were previously highlighted as potential best-in-class therapies.

The successful trials bolster a corporate strategy that also relies on its established HIV franchise and a £1.9 billion cost-savings initiative to drive future growth.

Market Reaction

Following the announcement, GSK's stock climbed 3.4% to trade at 1,830.5 pence, touching a session high of 1,837p. The advance marked a significant outperformance against the broader market.

The UK's FTSE 100 index opened higher, supported by healthcare and energy stocks, providing a favorable backdrop for GSK's gains. This came after the index suffered its worst weekly performance since July in the prior week. In contrast, U.S. equity markets were trading lower, with technology stocks under pressure.