Dr. Girard on Examining the Real-World Effectiveness of Lurbinectedin in SCLC

Nicolas Girard, MD, PhD, professor of Respiratory Medicine, Versailles Saint Quentin University, professor, Head, the Curie-Montsouris Thorax Institute, Institut Curie, discusses the investigation of lurbinectedin (Zepzelca) in small cell lung cancer (SCLC).

Lurbinectedin is an original compound that has broad biological efficacy, Girard says. In the phase 2 basket trial (NCT02454972) that led to the FDA approval of the agent as a second-line treatment for patients with metastatic SCLC, lurbinectedin monotherapy induced an overall response rate of 35.2%, Girard notes. The combination of lurbinectedin plus doxorubicin did not provide an overall survival benefit over investigator’s choice of chemotherapy, according to data from the phase 3 ATLANTIS study (NCT02566993).

In France, lurbinectedin is still accessible for use in the second-line setting through an expanded access program, Girard adds. Although clinical trial data are available to inform the use of agents like lurbinectedin in SCLC, it is important to evaluate the use of these agents in the real-world setting, Girard notes. To this end, the French Intergroup is conducting 2 real-world studies. One study is looking at patients who received chemotherapy plus atezolizumab (Tecentriq) in the first-line setting. Another study is examining patients with SCLC who received lurbinectedin; these data will shed additional light on patient characteristics, treatment sequencing, and outcomes in the real-world setting, Girard adds.

Understanding strategy, sequencing, and how patients are being selected for lurbinectedin in a real-world setting will help to further confirm the data reported in clinical trials and to provide more insight into how the agent is being leveraged in clinical practice, Girard concludes.