Roche's Tecentriq combined with lurbinectedin shows significant survival benefit in extensive-stage small cell lung cancer

Core Insights - Roche announced positive results from the Phase III IMforte study, demonstrating that the combination of Tecentriq and lurbinectedin significantly improves survival outcomes for patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) [1][5] - The combination therapy reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 46% and the risk of death by 27% compared to Tecentriq alone [1][5] - The study's findings were presented at the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting and published in The Lancet, indicating a potential practice-changing option for a disease with high unmet medical needs [1][5] Study Details - The IMforte study is a Phase III, open-label, randomized trial involving 660 patients in the induction phase and 483 patients in the maintenance phase [2] - Patients received induction therapy with Tecentriq, carboplatin, and etoposide for four cycles before being randomized to maintenance therapy with either Tecentriq plus lurbinectedin or Tecentriq alone [2] - The primary endpoints of the study were progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) assessed by independent review [2] Treatment Efficacy - The median overall survival for the Tecentriq plus lurbinectedin regimen was 13.2 months compared to 10.6 months for Tecentriq alone, with a stratified hazard ratio of 0.73 [1][2] - Median progression-free survival was 5.4 months for the combination therapy versus 2.1 months for Tecentriq alone, with a stratified hazard ratio of 0.54 [1][2] - No new safety signals were observed, confirming the safety profiles of both Tecentriq and lurbinectedin [1][2] About Tecentriq - Tecentriq is a monoclonal antibody that targets PD-L1, designed to enhance T cell activation against tumors [3] - It is approved for various aggressive cancer types, including small cell lung cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma, and is available in both intravenous and subcutaneous forms [4][6] Roche's Commitment - Roche is a leader in cancer immunotherapy and aims to improve patient outcomes through innovative treatments [7] - The company has a long-standing commitment to sustainability and aims to achieve net zero by 2045 [8]