New Cancer Drug Dramatically Cuts Mortality in Aggressive Lung Cancer
Translated & summarized from Vesty by baba
A new drug, Tarlatamab, combined with immunotherapy, has significantly reduced mortality in patients with aggressive small cell lung cancer, extending median survival by over eight months. Presented at the ESMO congress, the Phase 3 trial showed a 79.4% one-year survival rate for the combination therapy versus 53.3% for standard treatment. While effective, the new treatment also resulted in more frequent side effects, including cytokine release syndrome. The drug, already approved in the US, is funded by Amgen and AstraZeneca.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- New drug Tarlatamab combined with immunotherapy cuts mortality in aggressive lung cancer by over half.
- Median survival increased to 21.1 months with the new combination, compared to 12.7 months.
- One-year survival rate reached 79.4% with Tarlatamab, significantly higher than the control group's 53.3%.
- The novel treatment targets the DLL3 protein on cancer cells, enhancing immune system attack.
- More frequent side effects, including cytokine release syndrome, were observed with the new combination therapy.
- Professor Ido Wolff of Ichilov Hospital called the results 'even more inspiring' than recent pancreatic cancer news.
A novel treatment combining the drug Tarlatamab (Imdelltra) with immunotherapy has shown remarkable success in combating small cell lung cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) congress in Madrid, the Phase 3 trial results, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, indicate a significant reduction in mortality risk by over half for patients whose disease was controlled after initial chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
The study, involving 563 patients across 175 hospitals in 29 countries, divided participants into two groups. One received Tarlatamab alongside Durvalumab (Imfinzi), while the control group received only Durvalumab. Over an average follow-up of 16 months, the combined therapy group saw 87 deaths compared to 156 in the control group. The median survival for the Tarlatamab combination was 21.1 months, more than eight months longer than the 12.7 months in the control group. Furthermore, 79.4% of patients on the new combination were alive after one year, versus 53.3% in the control group.
Professor Ido Wolff, head of oncology at Tel Aviv's Ichilov Hospital, expressed strong optimism about the findings, comparing them favorably to recent advancements in pancreatic cancer treatment. Small cell lung cancer accounts for about 15% of all lung cancer cases globally, with a grim 5-year survival rate of only 9%. The new drug Tarlatamab targets the DLL3 protein, prevalent on cancer cells but scarce on healthy tissue, and CD3 on immune T-cells, effectively guiding the immune system to attack the tumor.
While the new combination significantly improved survival and disease control, with the tumor shrinking or disappearing in 26.4% of patients compared to 4.1% in the control group, it also led to more frequent side effects. Severe or life-threatening complications occurred in 46.8% of the combination group versus 40.6% in the control group. Cytokine release syndrome was the most common adverse event, affecting about half of patients receiving Tarlatamab, though typically manageable. Taste disturbance and neurological complications were also noted.
Researchers emphasize these are interim results, and the study is ongoing. The trial excluded patients with significant brain metastases or autoimmune diseases. Amgen and AstraZeneca funded the research, with Amgen also presenting earlier data showing even longer survival in a different study setting. The drug, already approved in the US for patients progressing after platinum-based chemotherapy, costs approximately $30,000 per course, translating to over $390,000 annually.
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