Chinese University medical researchers on Monday said a multinational study they led has found a mainland-developed cancer drug to be effective in treating tumours.

They said the drug D3S-001, from company D3Bio, has shown promise during a phase 1 trial involving patients with cancers of the lung, pancreas and colon that are driven by KRAS-G12C gene mutations.

More than 70 percent of those who took part in the trial saw their tumours shrink significantly or disappear altogether, the researchers said.

Associate professor at the university's department of clinical oncology, Dr Herbert Loong, said the new drug is more effective than previous treatments.

"In the sense that it does inhibit KRAS-G12C at a quicker rate and most likely at a longer duration as well," Loong said.

Professor Tony Mok, who chairs the department, said further study is needed.

"We are actually looking into a phase three development, most likely we would like to see this compound as a first-line medication," Mok said.

The researchers said their findings have been published in the Nature Medicine journal.