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A major phase 3 trial just reshaped how we treat one of the deadliest lung cancers. The DeLLphi-305 trial found that adding tarlatamab to durvalumab maintenance therapy nearly doubled median overall survival — 21.1 months vs. 12.7 months — in patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer. The results, presented at the 2026 ESMO Congress and published in the NEJM, are being hailed as a new standard of care.
One of the most aggressive forms of lung cancer may have a powerful new treatment option. The phase 3 DeLLphi-305 trial showed that adding tarlatamab (Imdelltra) to durvalumab (Imfinzi) as first-line maintenance therapy dramatically improved outcomes for patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) whose disease hadn't progressed after initial chemoimmunotherapy. The results were unveiled at the 2026 ESMO Congress Presidential Symposium and simultaneously published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
The combination outperformed durvalumab alone across every key endpoint — overall survival, progression-free survival, and response rates — leading researchers to declare it a new standard of care for this patient population.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: ES-SCLC is notoriously difficult to treat, with most patients relapsing quickly after initial therapy. This trial's results represent a significant leap forward, offering patients nearly double the survival time and a manageable — though notable — safety profile, including cytokine release syndrome that requires monitoring.
