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‹ Wed · 3 Jun 2026
Novel or significantly improved treatment

Comparative efficacy of tarlatamab and second-line therapies in extensive-stage small cell lung cancer: A network meta-analysis

A new targeted immunotherapy for small-cell lung cancer significantly extends survival compared to all current standard second-line treatments.

A Bayesian network meta-analysis integrating Phase 3 DeLLphi-304 trial data confirms tarlatamab (DLL3-targeting BiTE) provides significantly better overall survival than all available second-line treatments for extensive-stage SCLC, including platinum rechallenge in platinum-sensitive patients. These findings support tarlatamab as a potential new standard of care in 2L ES-SCLC across all patient subgroups.

What the study was

Study design
Bayesian network meta-analysis
Population
Previously treated extensive-stage SCLC patients (2L setting), overall and platinum-sensitive subgroup
Category
Treatment Innovation
Maturity
Validated
Journal
Lung Cancer

Why it surfaced

First comprehensive NMA positioning tarlatamab against the full 2L ES-SCLC treatment landscape including platinum rechallenge; confirms superiority across all comparators. SCLC has very high unmet need with historically poor 2L outcomes. Important COI note: all primary authors employed by Amgen (tarlatamab manufacturer) or Analysis Group (paid consultant).

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