PharmaMar presents new data on lurbinectedin for small cell lung cancer at ESMO 2023
October 19, 2023 at 08:39 am EDT
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Madrid - PharmaMar (MSE: PHM) has announced today that it will present new data on lurbinectedin in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) congress, which will be held celebrated in Madrid from October 20 to 24.
Among the most notable studies will be an oral presentation by Dr. Antonio Calles, where, for the first time, final data from the LUPPER trial of lurbinectedin in combination with immunotherapy in second line SCLC are presented. The abstract called 'Lurbinectedin (LUR) in combination with pembrolizumab (PBL) in relapsed small cell lung cancer (SCLC): the phase 1/2 LUPER study' concludes that the combination of lurbinectedin and pembrolizumab is an effective second-line treatment for SCLC in patients who did not receive prior immunotherapy, achieving in some cases deep and durable responses, with a manageable safety profile and without new signs of emerging toxicity when combining the two drugs.
Dr. Antonio Calles, Medical Oncology Specialist at the Gregorio Maranon General University Hospital, Madrid, Spain, who led the study, comments that 'the combination represents an opportunity for those patients with metastatic small cell lung cancer who could not be treated with Immunotherapy in the first line. The treatment achieved a confirmed response rate of 46.4%, including deep and durable responses that exceeded one year in some patients. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was significantly longer for platinum-sensitive patients compared to platinum-resistant patients, with a PFS of 10 versus 3 months, respectively. Currently, the only treatment approved for this indication in the last 2 decades has a response rate of only 20% and a PFS of 4 months, in addition to very significant toxicity. On the other hand, no unexpected side effects were observed and both drugs could be safely combined at full doses.'
Dr. Ali Zeaiter, Vice President and Director of Clinical Development at PharmaMar comments 'we are pleased to present new data on the combination of lurbinectedin with immunotherapy. We believe that these data, with the suggested improvements in patient outcomes, confirm once again that 'lurbinectedin is an important treatment option for relapsed SCLC and they support further investigation of the combination of lurbinectedin with immunotherapy.'
In addition, from the previous presentation, the abstract titled ' A randomized, multicenter phase-III study comparing doxorubicin (dox) alone versus dox with trabectedin (trab) followed by trab in non-progressive patients (pts) as first-line therapy, in pts with metastatic or unresectable leiomyosarcoma (LMS): Final results of the LMS-04 study ' will present the final overall survival (OS ) data for the combination of doxorubicin and trabectedin. This combination obtained a clinically significant benefit over doxorubicin, 33.1 months versus 23.8 months. These data confirm that this is the first drug combination that is capable of demonstrating benefit in both PFS and OS in a phase III trial in first-line treatment in metastatic leiomyosarcomas. These data further support the rationale for also studying lurbinectedin in sarcoma.
Dr. Patricia Pautier, from the Institut Gustave Roussy in Villejuif, Paris, France, comments 'the final results were positive, with median progression-free survival (PFS) statistically improved from 6.2 months with doxorubicin alone to 12. 2 months with the combination'
Pharma Mar SA is a Spain-based integrated biopharmaceutical company focused on oncology and committed to research and development (R&D) of antitumor drugs of marine origin. The Company, through its subsidiaries, operates three business segments: Oncology, Diagnostics and RNA interference. The Oncology segment encompasses research, develop and market anti-tumor drugs. The Diagnostics segment includes the development and marketing of diagnostic kits. The RNA interference segment consist of the development of drugs with therapeutic activity based on reducing or silencing gene expression. The Companyâs product portfolio includes Yondelis and ZEPZELCA. Yondelis (trabectedin) is indicated for the treatment of advanced soft tissue sarcoma, as well as for the treatment of relapsed platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer. ZEPZELCA (lurbinectedin) is indicated for the treatment of metastatic small cell lung cancer (SCLC) with disease progression. The Company is active globally.
PHARMA MAR, S.A. 
