GSK Jemperli Gets US Approval for Advanced Rectal Cancer

04:26 AM EDT, 10/20/2026 (MT Newswires) -- GSK (GSK) said Monday the US Food and Drug Administration approved Jemperli for adults with microsatellite instability-high or mismatch repair deficient locally advanced rectal cancer. In a phase 2 trial of 144 patients, 68% were free of detectable cancer without surgery one year after starting treatment, and no responders saw the disease return after a median of more than two years, the company said. Standard care combines chemotherapy, radiation and surgery, which can cause lasting bowel, urinary and sexual problems, secondary cancers and infertility, and the biomarker appears in 5% to 10% of rectal cancers, GSK said. The FDA granted approval under an accelerated pathway, and serious side effects affected 20% of patients, and 3% stopped treatment permanently, it added.