What the trial was testing
The FRESCO-2 enrolled 691 patients with colorectal cancer. The study was sponsored by Hutchison Medipharma Limited and tracked outcomes across the full group of patients who matched the trial's eligibility profile.
It was a large trial designed to confirm whether the treatment works well enough for wider use. Trials at this stage are designed to produce evidence regulators and physicians can act on — not just observations to follow up later.
What the results showed
Patients lived 55% longer — 7.4 months versus 4.8 months on placebo.
Lancet (London, England) · 2023 · NCT04322539
These findings — that median survival with fruquintinib in heavily pretreated patients — were published in the Lancet (London, England) and represent the headline result of the study.
Researchers tracked outcomes across 691 patients enrolled in the trial. The result was consistent enough across the group that the team felt confident reporting it.
What this means for patients
For patients with colorectal cancer, this result changes the calculus on what to ask their care team about. Whether it changes day-to-day care depends on factors like disease subtype, prior treatments, and where the patient is in their care journey.
What you can do now
If you've already tried multiple rounds of chemotherapy for advanced colon cancer and it's no longer working, this pill could buy you meaningful extra time. Fruquintinib is FDA-approved as of November 2023. Ask your oncologist if you're a candidate — especially if you've exhausted other options like trifluridine-tipiracil or regorafenib.
Eligibility for the treatments mentioned above depends on specific test results and clinical history. Bring this summary, the trial name, and your most recent labs or pathology report to your next visit.
Open colorectal cancer trials
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Study of IBI3028 in Participants With Locally Advanced, Unresectable, or Metastatic Solid Tumors
This is a phase 1 multi-center, open-label study evaluating IBI3028 Treatment in participants with locally advanced, unresectable, or metastatic solid tumors