Jazz Pharmaceuticals Announces Zepzelca® (lurbinectedin) and Atezolizumab (Tecentriq®) Combination Significantly Improves Survival as First-Line Maintenance Therapy for Extensive-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer

Core Insights - The Phase 3 IMforte study demonstrated that the combination of Zepzelca (lurbinectedin) and atezolizumab (Tecentriq) as a first-line maintenance therapy for extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) significantly improved both progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) compared to atezolizumab alone [2][3][4] Group 1: Study Results - The combination therapy reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 46%, with a median OS of 13.2 months compared to 10.6 months for atezolizumab alone [4][7] - The median PFS was 5.4 months for the combination versus 2.1 months for atezolizumab alone, with a stratified hazard ratio (HR) of 0.54 [4][7] - The study met both primary endpoints, indicating a statistically significant improvement in PFS and OS [2][3] Group 2: Clinical Implications - The IMforte trial results support the use of Zepzelca plus atezolizumab as a new standard of care for patients with ES-SCLC following induction therapy [3][5] - Approximately 30,000 new cases of small cell lung cancer are diagnosed annually in the U.S., highlighting the significant unmet medical need in this patient population [5][13] - The combination therapy offers oncologists a new evidence-based option to improve outcomes for patients who complete induction therapy without progression [5] Group 3: Safety Profile - The combination therapy was generally well tolerated, with no new or unexpected safety signals identified [4][8] - Treatment-related adverse events occurred in 83.5% of patients receiving the combination compared to 40.0% for atezolizumab alone, with Grade 3-4 adverse events in 25.6% versus 5.8% [8] - Adverse events led to treatment discontinuation in 6.2% of patients in the combination arm compared to 3.3% in the atezolizumab arm [8] Group 4: Future Developments - Jazz Pharmaceuticals plans to engage with the FDA to expedite the market introduction of this new indication [5][9] - An investor webcast is scheduled for June 10 to review the Zepzelca data, featuring commentary from experts in small cell lung cancer [9]