Tarlatamab improves long term survival in previously treated small cell lung cancer
Published on 26 October 2026
Prof Charles Rudin speaks to ecancer about the extended follow-up results from the phase III DeLLphi-304 trial, which evaluated tarlatamab, a DLL3-targeting bispecific T-cell engager immunotherapy, compared with chemotherapy in patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) whose disease had progressed after first-line platinum-based chemotherapy.
After a median follow-up of 23 months, tarlatamab continued to demonstrate a significant overall survival benefit, reducing the risk of death by 38%.
Median overall survival was 13.6 months with tarlatamab compared with 8.4 months with chemotherapy.
Dr Rudin says that the benefit was maintained in high-risk subgroups, including patients with platinum-resistant disease and those with brain metastases.
Tarlatamab also improved progression-free survival, with median progression-free survival of 4.2 months versus 3.2 months, and demonstrated more durable disease control.
Treatment discontinuations due to treatment-related adverse events were also lower with tarlatamab (3% vs 7%), and no new safety signals emerged with extended follow-up.
These findings reinforce the durable survival benefit and manageable safety profile of tarlatamab as a treatment option for patients with previously treated SCLC, including those with high-risk disease.