Tarlatamab in Previously Treated Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Real-World Experience in a Predominantly Hispanic

Santiago Sucre1, Chinmay Jani1,2, Dan Morgenstern-Kaplan1,2

  • 1Department of Medicine, University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, FL 33136, USA.

Cancers
|June 12, 2026
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Tarlatamab, a DLL3-targeted therapy, showed manageable toxicity and antitumor activity in a real-world study of extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC). This bispecific T-cell engager offers a survival benefit for heavily pre-treated patients with brain metastases.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Immunotherapy
  • Clinical Research

Background:

  • Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is aggressive with limited treatment options post-progression.
  • Tarlatamab, a DLL3-directed bispecific T-cell engager, has shown survival benefits in clinical trials.
  • Real-world data on Tarlatamab's efficacy and safety are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the safety, radiographic response, and treatment durability of Tarlatamab in a real-world SCLC cohort.
  • To assess Tarlatamab's effectiveness in a heavily pre-treated population with brain metastases.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of 23 extensive-stage SCLC patients treated with Tarlatamab.
  • Data abstraction from electronic medical records for demographic, clinical, radiographic, and toxicity information.
  • Kaplan-Meier method used for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) estimation.

Main Results:

  • The cohort was predominantly Hispanic (61%) with a high rate of brain metastases (61%) and prior therapies (43% received ≥2 lines).
  • Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and immune-effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) were primarily grade 1-2, occurring mainly in Cycle 1.
  • Disease control rate was 44.4% (27.7% partial response, 16.7% stable disease), with median PFS of 139 days and median OS of 323 days.

Conclusions:

  • Tarlatamab demonstrated feasible administration and manageable immune-mediated toxicity in a real-world, heavily pre-treated SCLC population with high CNS disease burden.
  • The therapy showed clinically meaningful antitumor activity, supporting its use in this patient group.
  • Real-world data confirm Tarlatamab's potential as a therapeutic option for advanced SCLC.