The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Amgen's treatment for lung cancer on Thursday (May 17).
Tarlatamab is a bispecific T cell conjugator (BiTE) antibody developed by Amgen in the United States, targeting DLL3 and CD3, as a second-line or later treatment for patients with extensive stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC). The drug will be launched under the name Imdelltra.
In clinical trials, the drug has been shown to shrink tumors and significantly prolong the lifespan of small cell lung cancer patients.
Small cell lung cancer
Small cell lung cancer typically begins in the lung airways, grows rapidly, forms large tumors, and spreads throughout the body. Symptoms include phlegm with blood, cough, chest pain, and shortness of breath.
Anjin stated that among the over 2.2 million patients diagnosed with lung cancer worldwide each year, small cell lung cancer accounts for 15%, or 330000 cases. A study published in the Journal of Cancer showed that approximately 80% to 85% of small cell lung cancer patients are diagnosed with advanced lung cancer.
Dr. Jay Bradner, Chief Scientific Officer of Anjin, stated that there are approximately 35000 small cell lung cancer patients in the United States.
According to data from the American Cancer Society, only 3% of patients can survive for five years when small cell lung cancer spreads to other parts of the body; And for all patients with this disease, regardless of whether the cancer has spread or not, the five-year survival rate is 7%.
Bradner also pointed out that small cell lung cancer patients typically only have a lifespan of four to five months.
Extend lifespan
Tarlatamab is known as a bispecific T cell conjugator (BiTE), designed to redirect the immune system's T cells to recognize and kill cancer cells.
In a phase II trial based on more than 200 small cell lung cancer patients, the results showed that after taking 10 milligrams of Tarlatamab every two weeks, the cancer tumor shrank by an average of 40%.
It is worth noting that after starting to take a 10 milligram dose of Anjin medication, the median survival time of patients was 14.3 months, and 40% of patients responded to Tarlatamab treatment. By contrast, according to data from the National Cancer Institute in the United States, the average survival time of patients under current treatment methods is approximately 6 to 12 months.
Dr. Bradner from Anjin stated, "This therapy gives these patients, who typically only have a lifespan of four to five months, almost an additional year of life."
At present, Anjin Company is continuing to study several trials of Imdelltra, some of which will test the drug as an early treatment for small cell lung cancer.
Moreover, Anjin plans to launch another phase III study to use the drug as a first-line treatment for patients with advanced small cell lung cancer.
Bradner pointed out, "When you develop cancer drugs, if they work in the late stages of the disease, then when you transfer them to first-line treatment, they will play a better role."
Dr. Bradner also stated that there are currently "quite few" treatment options available for this disease, "which is one of the most terrifying cancers, so we need a new solution."