Every year, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting brings together cancer researchers, oncologists, and advocates to discuss the latest research. Some studies presented at ASCO may eventually change how small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is treated. Others help answer practical questions patients and families have been asking for years.
Below is an update on DLL3-targeted therapies for SCLC.
Tarlatamab and DLL3-targeted therapy continue gaining momentum in small cell lung cancer
SCLC has historically had far fewer treatment advances than non-small cell lung cancer, which is why many oncologists and advocates continue watching the development of DLL3-targeted therapies closely.
One of the biggest recent advances in SCLC has been tarlatamab, a DLL3-targeting bispecific T-cell engager that helps the immune system recognize and attack cancer cells. The phase III DeLLphi-304 trial previously showed improved overall survival compared with chemotherapy in patients whose SCLC progressed after platinum-based treatment, helping establish tarlatamab as a new standard treatment option in the relapsed setting.
At ASCO 2026, many experts expect continued discussion around how DLL3-targeted therapies may move earlier into treatment, including ongoing studies evaluating tarlatamab in maintenance and first-line settings.
For patients with SCLC, this remains one of the most important areas to watch because it represents a completely different treatment strategy in a disease where new options have historically been limited.
Phase II study shows promise for previously treated SCLC
A small study (60 patients) out of China found that combining ivonescimab with liposomal irinotecan produced encouraging activity among patients with small cell lung cancer who had already received chemoimmunotherapy in an earlier line of treatment. Ivonescimab is a bi-specific antibody, which is an engineered protein designed to bind to two different targets simultaneously. Liposomal irinotecan is a targeted chemotherapy.
The study showed that this new combination therapy yielded a 6-month progression-free survival rate of 69.1% for patients with relapsed extensive stage SCLC, who had already progressed on immunotherapy PD-(L) 1-based first-line therapy.
SCLC is notoriously difficult to treat, and tumors frequently return after shrinking. The prospect of another effective SCLC treatment with a manageable safety profile for previously treated disease is encouraging for patients.
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