Roche and Jazz Pharmaceuticals have shared positive results from a late-stage study evaluating their small cell lung cancer (SCLC) combination treatment.
The phase 3 IMforte study randomised adults with extensive-stage SCLC to receive Roche’s PD-L1 inhibitor Tecentriq (atezolizumab) plus Jazz’s alkylating drug Zepzelca (lurbinectedin), or Tecentriq alone, as a first-line maintenance therapy following induction therapy with carboplatin, etoposide and Tecentriq.
Results from the trial, which is sponsored by Roche and co-funded by Jazz, were presented at this year’s American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting and showed that the combination reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 46% and the risk of death by 27% compared to Tecentriq maintenance therapy alone.
Median progression-free survival was 5.4 months for Tecentriq plus Zepzelca versus 2.1 months for Tecentriq alone, while median overall survival was 13.2 months for the combination group compared to 10.6 months for the Tecentriq cohort.
Approximately 30,000 new cases of SCLC, the most aggressive form of lung cancer, are reported in the US every year. The disease usually spreads quickly to other parts of the body and, despite a large percentage of patients briefly responding to treatment, the cancer often returns and is usually more aggressive and resistant to regimens that were previously effective.
Levi Garraway, Roche’s chief medical officer and head of global product development, said: “In the IMforte study, the Tecentriq and [Zepzelca] maintenance regimen significantly extended survival for people living with extensive-stage SCLC.
“This study builds on Tecentriq’s well-established safety and efficacy profile as the first immunotherapy for this cancer type and may provide another approach to help physicians and patients better manage this aggressive disease.”
Sharing a similar sentiment, Rob Iannone, executive vice president, global head of research and development, and chief medical officer of Jazz, said: “The IMforte trial results underscore the potential of Zepzelca with [Tecentriq] to deliver clinically meaningful benefit as a first-line maintenance option for patients with extensive-stage SCLC and is a significant advance for these patients.”
Iannone added that the company is “[looking] forward to engaging with the US Food and Drug Administration to bring this indication to market as quickly as possible”.