Dr Sands on Updated Efficacy Findings With Tarlatamab in Previously Treated SCLC

Jacob Sands, MD, oncology medical director at the International Patient Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; assistant professor, Harvard Medical School, discusses updated efficacy findings from the phase 2 DeLLphi-301 study (NCT05060016) that investigated tarlatamab (Imdelltra) treatment in previously treated patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC).

Previously reported data from the study demonstrated a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 4.3 months. Notably, the therapy exhibited durable clinical responses beyond 6 months in a subset of patients, supporting its efficacy in this challenging disease setting. The favorable safety profile of tarlatamab, particularly after the first cycle of treatment, contributed toits accelerated approval by the FDAin May, 2024.

Tarlatamab has demonstrated notable clinical benefit in patients with relapsed/refractory SCLC, Sands explains, noting that this is a population with limited therapeutic options. The latest findings from the study, with an additional 11 months of follow-up, revealed a median duration of response of 9.7 months, further validating the sustained efficacy of tarlatamab, Sands reports.

Regarding safety, tarlatamab was generally well tolerated, with no new safety concerns arising from extended follow-up, Sands explains. The majority of treatment-related toxicities occurred early and were predominantly seen during the first cycle of treatment. Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) was the most common adverse effect, primarily observed in the initial cycle, while immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) occurred less frequently and diminished over time, Sands continues. Importantly, no late-onset toxicities were observed, supporting the agent’s favorable long-term safety profile.

Tarlatamab’s efficacy and manageable safety make it a promising treatment option for patients with relapsed/refractory SCLC, Sands emphasizes. While early toxicities require monitoring, they are generally manageable and resolve over time. Continued investigation is necessary to better understand long-term outcomes and optimize tarlatamab’s role in this patient population, Sands concludes