Tarlatamab in Relapsed SCLC Improves Overall Survival vs. Standard of Care

Trial results comparing tarlatamab with standard of care chemotherapy in relapsed small cell lung cancer (SCLC) were posted on ClinicalTrials.gov on 2026-01-05. The study showed that tarlatamab significantly improved overall survival, with a median of 13.6 months compared to 8.3 months for standard of care, corresponding to a hazard ratio of 0.599 (p=0.001).

Background

Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) is a highly aggressive form of lung cancer. This trial investigated tarlatamab against standard of care chemotherapy, which included agents such as lurbinectedin, topotecan, and amrubicin, in patients with relapsed SCLC.

Trial design

The study (NCT05740566), titled 'Study Comparing Tarlatamab With Standard of Care Chemotherapy in Relapsed Small Cell Lung Cancer,' is a Phase 3 trial with an enrollment of 509 participants. It investigates the efficacy of tarlatamab against standard of care chemotherapy in patients with Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC). The main objective was to compare the overall survival (OS) of tarlatamab with that of standard of care, which included lurbinectedin, topotecan, and amrubicin. The trial compared a tarlatamab 1 mg to 10 mg Q2W arm with a Standard of Care (SOC) arm.

Key results

The trial's key results focused on Overall Survival (OS). For the Standard of Care (SOC) arm, the median Overall Survival was 8.3 months. In comparison, the Tarlatamab 1 mg to 10 mg Q2W arm demonstrated a median Overall Survival of 13.6 months. A stratified log-rank test was performed, yielding a p-value of 0.001. The Hazard Ratio (HR) for tarlatamab versus standard of care was 0.599, with a 95.0% Confidence Interval ranging from 0.468 to 0.768.

What this means

These results indicate that tarlatamab significantly prolongs overall survival in patients with relapsed Small Cell Lung Cancer compared to current standard of care chemotherapy options. The observed increase in median OS by 5.3 months and the statistically significant hazard ratio suggest a meaningful clinical benefit for patients. This data supports the potential of tarlatamab as an important new treatment option for this aggressive cancer.

Source

The information regarding these trial results was obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov, a public database of clinical studies. The results for study NCT05740566, titled 'Study Comparing Tarlatamab With Standard of Care Chemotherapy in Relapsed Small Cell Lung Cancer,' were posted on 2026-01-05 on clinicaltrials.gov.