ASCO: Maintenance Lurbinectedin + Atezolizumab Enhances Survival in Lung Cancer

TUESDAY, May 27, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- Maintenance therapy with lurbinectedin (lurbi) and atezolizumab (atezo) helps some patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) live longer versus maintenance therapy with atezolizumab alone, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, held from May 31 to June 4 in Chicago.Luis G. Paz Ares, M.D., Ph.D., from the Universidad Complutense and Ciberonc in Madrid, and colleagues assessed outcomes for 660 treatment-naive patients with ES-SCLC treated with standard induction therapy (atezo, carboplatin, and etoposide) for four 21-day cycles (q3w). Patients without disease progression were then randomly assigned to either maintenance treatment q3w with lurbi (3.2 mg/m2; with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor prophylaxis) + atezo (1,200 mg; 242 patients) or atezo alone (241 patients) until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, or withdrawal.The researchers report that at a median 15 months of follow-up, progression-free survival by an independent review facility was significantly improved with lurbi + atezo versus atezo alone (stratified hazard ratio, 0.54). Additionally, a significant benefit in overall survival was seen with lurbi + atezo versus atezo alone (stratified hazard ratio, 0.73). Median maintenance treatment duration was 4.1 months with lurbi and 4.2 months with atezo in the lurbi + atezo group, and 2.1 months with atezo alone. Treatment-related adverse events occurred in 83.5 percent of participants in the lurbi + atezo group versus 40.0 percent of patients in the atezo-only group. Adverse events led to treatment discontinuation in 6.2 and 3.3 percent of participants, respectively."This outcome represents a major milestone and could provide a much-needed option for advancing the treatment of this aggressive disease," Ares said in a statement.Several authors disclosed financial ties to pharmaceutical companies, including Jazz Pharmaceuticals, which manufactures lurbinectedin, and Genentech, which manufactures atezolizumab and funded the study.Press ReleaseMore Information.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

ASCO: Maintenance Lurbinectedin + Atezolizumab Enhances Survival in Lung Cancer

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