New Immunotherapy Prolongs Survival of Lung Cancer Patients

A combination of two immunotherapy drugs has significantly extended survival in patients with one of the deadliest forms of lung cancer, with trial data showing median survival nearly doubling against the current standard of care. Results from the Phase 3 study involving 563 patients were presented during a conference of the European Society for Medical Oncology in Madrid and also published simultaneously in the New England Journal of Medicine. 

Patients on the dual regimen had a median survival of 21.1 months, against 12.7 months for those given Imfinzi alone. The combination lowered mortality risk by 58% against the single-drug approach. At one year, 80% of patients on the dual therapy remained alive; among those receiving only Imfinzi, the rate was 53%. 

Small cell lung cancer accounts for almost 15% of all lung cancer diagnoses and is among the hardest variants to treat. Around 250,000 cases are identified globally each year, and the overall five-year survival rate sits at roughly 9%. For patients whose cancer holds steady through chemotherapy, Imfinzi is the established subsequent treatment. Surgery is rarely viable in extensive-stage disease, and patients in this trial initially received Imfinzi plus platinum-based chemotherapy and etoposide. 

Imdelltra is part of a class known as bispecific antibodies, designed so that immune system T cells are brought alongside cancer cells and triggered to attack, while Imfinzi works by disabling the concealment mechanism that tumors rely on to evade immune detection. Used together, the two approaches target the disease from separate angles simultaneously. That mechanistic difference is what researchers believe drives the additional benefit seen in the trial data. 

Grade 3 or higher treatment-related adverse events occurred in 20.90% of patients given the dual regimen; the rate among those on Imfinzi alone was 10.80%. Cytokine release syndrome, an intense inflammatory reaction, was recorded in 49.60% of patients given Imdelltra, though only one Grade 3 case arose and no patients died from the condition. Discontinuation rates were nearly identical across both groups, at 5.70% for the combination and 5.80% for the single drug. 

Each course of Imdelltra costs around $30,000 at U.S. list price, reaching more than $390,000 when extended across a full year of treatment. Regulators have already cleared the drug for small cell lung cancer patients whose disease progressed through chemotherapy, a decision built on data showing a 40% drop in mortality risk. Industry forecasts put peak annual revenue above $2.5 billion by 2030 should the broader indication win approval. 

Immunotherapy is proving to be transformative in cancer treatment, and there is hope that more of these treatments are going to be brought to market by companies like Calidi Biotherapeutics Inc. (NYSE American: CLDI) so that more cancer types can be combated using this treatment approach. 

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