Sacituzumab tirumotecan plus pembrolizumab versus pembrolizumab in PD-L1-positive advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (OptiTROP-Lung05): interim analysis of a randomised, open-label, phase 3 trial

Author(s): Prof Anwen Xiong, MD1; Prof Wenxiu Yao, MD2; Prof Wei Zheng, MD3; Yan Yu; Peng Chen, MD4; Prof Hua Zhong, MD5; Junyou Ge, PhD6; Prof Hui Wang, MD7; Prof Bolin Chen, MD8; Prof Haiyong Wang, MD9; Prof Yun Fan, MD10; Prof Yunpeng Yang, MD11; Prof Xingxiang Pu, MD12; Prof Xia Song, MSc13; Prof Qiming Wang, MD14; Prof Xiaobo Du, MD15; Zhangzhou Huang, BAC16; Prof Xingya Li, MD17; Hui Luo, MSc18; Prof Yu Yao, PhD19,20; Prof Qitao Yu, BAC21; Prof Cuiyun Su, MSc21; Prof Lang He, MD22; Prof Guanming Jiang, BAC23; Jiuwei Cui, MD24; Prof Chunling Liu, MSc25; Prof Tienan Yi, MSc26; Prof Guowei Che, MD27; Prof Zhentian Liu, MSc28; Prof Lemeng Zhang, PhD29; Prof Ming Zhou, MSc30; Prof Yong Fang, MD31; Youneng Wei, MD32; Yan Qing, PhD32; Xiaoping Jin, PhD32; Prof Caicun Zhou, MD1;
Source: DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(26)00968-2

Dr. Maen Hussein's Thoughts

Median progression-free survival was significantly longer with sac-TMT plus pembrolizumab than with pembrolizumab alone (not reached vs 5·7 m) this is regardless of PDL-1 expression (1-49 or >50).

BACKGROUND

Sacituzumab tirumotecan (sac-TMT), a trophoblast cell-surface antigen 2-targeting antibody-drug conjugate, combined with programmed death 1 (PD-1) or programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitors, has shown promising antitumour activity as first-line therapy for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in early-phase studies. Our aim was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of sac-TMT plus pembrolizumab as first-line treatment for patients with PD-L1-positive advanced NSCLC without targetable genomic alterations.

METHODS

In this randomised, open-label, phase 3 trial (OptiTROP-Lung05) conducted across 68 hospitals in China, eligible patients had locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC without targetable genomic alterations and a PD-L1 tumour proportion score (TPS) of 1% or greater. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive sac-TMT (4 mg/kg on days 1, 15, and 29) plus pembrolizumab (400 mg fixed dose on day 1), or pembrolizumab alone, administered intravenously every 6 weeks. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival, as assessed by blinded independent central review in the intention-to-treat population. This trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT06448312). Recruitment is complete, with the trial ongoing and the final analysis to be reported later.

FINDINGS

Between June 7, 2024, and March 27, 2025, 741 patients were screened and 413 eligible patients were randomly assigned to receive sac-TMT plus pembrolizumab (n=208) or pembrolizumab alone (n=205). At the prespecified interim analysis, conducted after a median follow-up of 10·5 months (IQR 8·7–12·5), median progression-free survival was significantly longer with sac-TMT plus pembrolizumab than with pembrolizumab alone (not reached vs 5·7 months; stratified hazard ratio [HR] 0·35 [95% CI 0·26–0·47]; p<0·0001). The progression-free survival benefit was broadly consistent across subgroups, including patients with PD-L1 TPS of 1–49% (HR 0·28 [95% CI 0·19–0·41]) and those with PD-L1 TPS of 50% or greater (HR 0·47 [0·29–0·77]). Grade 3 or higher treatment-emergent adverse events occurred in 115 (55%) of 208 patients in the sac-TMT plus pembrolizumab group and 64 (31%) of 204 patients in the pembrolizumab group.

INTERPRETATION

Among patients with PD-L1-positive advanced NSCLC without targetable genomic alterations, first-line treatment with sac-TMT plus pembrolizumab significantly prolonged progression-free survival compared with pembrolizumab alone. Therefore, sac-TMT plus pembrolizumab has the potential to redefine first-line treatment for patients with PD-L1-positive advanced NSCLC without targetable genomic alterations.

FUNDING

Sichuan Kelun-Biotech Biopharmaceutical.

Author Affiliations

1Department of Oncology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, China; 2Department of Medical Oncology, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China; 3Department of Oncology, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang, China; 4Department of Thoracic Oncology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China; 5Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai, China; 6National Engineering Research Center of Targeted Biologics, Chengdu, China; 7Thoracic Radiation Oncology Department 1, Hunan Cancer Hospital, Changsha, China; 8Thoracic Medical Oncology Department 2, Hunan Cancer Hospital, Changsha, China; 9Department of Internal Medicine–Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, China; 10Department of Thoracic Oncology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou, China; 11Department of Medical Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China; 12Thoracic Medical Oncology Department 3, Hunan Cancer Hospital, Changsha, China; 13Department of Respiratory, Shanxi Province Cancer Hospital, Taiyuan, China; 14Department of Internal Medicine, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer Hospital, Institute of Cancer Research, Henan Academy of Innovations in Medical Science, Zhengzhou, China; 15Department of Oncology, Mianyang Central Hospital, Mianyang, China; 16Department of Thoracic Medical Oncology, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, China; 17Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China; 18Department of Thoracic Oncology Radiotherapy, Jiangxi Cancer Hospital, Nanchang, China; 19Department of Medical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China; 20Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China; 21Medical Oncology of Respiratory Medicine, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, China; 22Department of Oncology, Cancer Prevention and Treatment Institute of Chengdu, Department of Oncology, Chengdu Fifth People's Hospital, (The Second Clinical Medical College, Affiliated Fifth People's Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine), Chengdu, China; 23Department of Oncology, Dongguan People's Hospital, Dongguan, China; 24Cancer Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China; 25Department of Pulmonary Medicine (Ward 2), Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China; 26Department of Oncology, Xiangyang Central Hospital, Xiangyang, China; 27Lung Cancer Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; 28Department of Thoracic Oncology, Jiangxi Cancer Hospital, Nanchang, China; 29Department of Thoracic Medicine I, Hunan Cancer Hospital, Changsha, China; 30Department of Thoracic Surgery 3, Affiliated Cancer Hospital and Institute of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China; 31Department of Medical Oncology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital (SRRSH), Hangzhou, China; 32Clinical Research Center, Sichuan Kelun-Biotech Biopharmaceutical, Chengdu, China

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