Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 25, 2026
Endobronchial Ultrasound-guided Intratumoral Injection of Cisplatin for the Treatment of Isolated Mediastinal Recurrence of Lung Cancer
Published on: February 12, 2017
Real-World Experience of Tarlatamab in Extensive-Stage Small Cell Lung Carcinoma Showed Promising Systemic and
Mitchell Parma1, Kaiwen Wang2, Ceylan Altintas Taslicay3
1Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
Purpose:
Tarlatamab, a CD3/delta-like ligand 3 bispecific T-cell engager, was approved in 2024 for relapsed extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) based on promising clinical trial results. As a T-cell effector therapy, it also has unique side effects, including cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS). In this article, we report a real-world series of patients treated with tarlatamab.
Materials And Methods:
We retrospectively evaluated safety and efficacy in patients with relapsed ES-SCLC receiving tarlatamab from July 1, 2024, to February 15, 2025, at MD Anderson Cancer Center, including clinical response and toxicity and the radiographic response of brain metastases (BM) per Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (RANO)-BM.
Results:
27 patients were included in our analyses. The median age was 68 (range, 43-83) years, and 15 patients (56%) were women. Before tarlatamab, nine patients (33%) had no BM, and 11 (41%) had active, untreated BM. Of the 22 patients evaluable for response with a median follow-up time of 3 months, four patients (18.2%) had partial response (PR), 71 (31.8%) had stable disease (SD), and 11 (50%) had progressive disease (PD) based on RECIST criteria. Median progression-free survival was 5.9 months (95% CI, 2.6 to not reached). Of the 14 patients with prior BM and serial brain magnetic resonance imaging, based on RANO-BM criteria, two had complete response, one had PR, nine had SD, and only two had PD. Of the four patients without BM, none had new intracranial disease after starting tarlatamab. Of the 27 patients who received cycle 1 day 1 (C1D1) of tarlatamab, 10 (37%) patients developed CRS (1 grade ≥3) and 8 (30%) had ICANS (4 grade ≥3). Of the 25 patients who received C1D8 of tarlatamab, 10 (40%) developed CRS (1 grade ≥3) and 4 (16%) developed ICANS (none grade ≥3).
Conclusion:
Tarlatamab demonstrates both intracranial and extracranial efficacy in our real-world patient cohort. Our cohort's toxicity profile showed similar CRS but higher ICANS rates compared with those reported in clinical trials. More studies are needed to determine biomarkers of efficacy and toxicity.
Insights
Tarlatamab shows efficacy in real-world relapsed extensive-stage small cell lung cancer patients, including those with brain metastases. While cytokine release syndrome (CRS) rates were similar to trials, immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) was higher.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Immunotherapy
- Clinical Research
Background:
- Tarlatamab, a novel bispecific T-cell engager targeting CD3/delta-like ligand 3, received FDA approval in 2024 for relapsed extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC).
- As a T-cell effector therapy, tarlatamab is associated with unique toxicities, including cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS).
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the real-world safety and efficacy of tarlatamab in patients with relapsed ES-SCLC.
- To assess the radiographic response of brain metastases (BM) in patients treated with tarlatamab.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 27 patients with relapsed ES-SCLC treated with tarlatamab from July 2024 to February 2025.
- Evaluation of clinical response (RECIST criteria), toxicity, and radiographic response of BM (RANO-BM criteria).
Main Results:
- Among 22 evaluable patients, partial response (PR) was observed in 18.2%, stable disease (SD) in 31.8%, and progressive disease (PD) in 50%. Median progression-free survival was 5.9 months.
- Of 14 patients with prior BM, 2 achieved complete response, 1 PR, 9 SD, and 2 PD per RANO-BM criteria. None of the 4 patients without BM developed new intracranial disease.
- Toxicity included CRS in 37% and ICANS in 30% after cycle 1 day 1 (C1D1), with higher grade ICANS observed.
Conclusions:
- Tarlatamab demonstrated both intracranial and extracranial efficacy in this real-world cohort of relapsed ES-SCLC patients.
- The observed toxicity profile showed similar CRS rates but higher ICANS rates compared to clinical trial data.
- Further research is warranted to identify biomarkers predictive of tarlatamab efficacy and toxicity.
More Related Videos
09:38Establishing Dual Resistance to EGFR-TKI and MET-TKI in Lung Adenocarcinoma Cells In Vitro with a 2-step Dose-escalation Procedure
Published on: August 11, 2017
11:17Thoracoscopic Extended Right Middle Plus Lower Sleeve Lobectomy for Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Published on: February 27, 2026
