How ADCs and BiTEs Are Propelling Change in Lung Cancer

During a visit to Georgia Cancer Center in Augusta, Georgia, CancerNetwork^® sat down with Guilherme Sacchi de Camargo Correia, MD, to speak about key therapeutic developments in the management of different lung cancer types. He highlighted how novel antibody drug conjugates, bispecific T-cell engagers, and other targeted therapies are playing larger roles in the treatment of patients with non–small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer.

According to Correia, clinical assistant professor at Augusta University and thoracic and head and neck medical oncologist at Georgia Cancer Center, current research aims to assess some of these new therapies in earlier treatment settings. Additionally, work on optimizing the efficacy of investigational targeted agents while minimizing toxicity represents another ongoing initiative in the field.

Transcript:

Lung cancer is one of the fields in oncology that’s going through a lot of changes very fast, which is great, not only for the physicians, but more importantly, for patients. [Regarding] some of the key therapies, we are seeing a lot of new antibody drug conjugates, which are basically antibody drugs that can target a specific molecule that’s related to cancer, and they have chemotherapy bound to them, trying to deliver this treatment in a more targeted way. Telisotuzumab vedotin-tllv [Emrelis] [had a] recent FDA approval.¹ Datopotamab deruxtecan-dlnk [Datroway] was also recently approved.² We also have fam-trastuzumab-deruxtecan-nxki [Enhertu], which has been on the market for a longer time. We have some that are coming, like ifinatamab deruxtecan, and some others that we’re waiting for eventual approval in the coming months or years.

The bispecific therapies, I would say, are also very promising. We have the bispecific T-cell engagers that completely change the scenario for small cell lung cancer, especially with tarlatamab-dlle [Imdelltra], with which we’ve seen overall survival in the second line; one of the first therapies, if not the first, to show that in a significant way. Now, [there are] new studies possibly bringing that drug earlier on, and [we’re] seeing some synergism with immunotherapy drugs like durvalumab [Imfinzi] and atezolizumab [Tecentriq]. We’re still waiting to see the final results of the more advanced phase trials on those, but it’s been investigated. We also have the bispecific antibodies that are not directly T-cell engagers, like amivantamab-vmjw [Rybrevant] in EGFR-mutant lung cancer. We also have zenocutuzumab-zbco [Bizengri] for a very rare type of fusion with NRG1 fusions in non–small cell lung cancer, showing that this might be a new category of drugs that’s promising in the future.

Of course, [there are] the targeted therapies and the small molecules that we keep developing and keep improving. We have taletrectinib [Ibtrozi] in ROS1 fusions in non–small cell lung cancer, which are great therapies that are hopefully bringing more efficacy. Of course, it’s hard to compare, because they have never been studied head-to-head. We’re comparing 2 different trials to different patient populations, but it seems like not only do they have higher efficacy, but [they] also bring less toxicity. We’re getting better at developing the mechanism of targeting for these drugs, in the sense that they can reach the target better without reaching other molecules that could still cause [adverse] effects. It’s hard [to give] a medication that’s completely free of [adverse] effects, but by being more targeted, we are hoping to have less of those.

References

1. U.S. FDA Approves EMRELIS™ (telisotuzumab vedotin-tllv) for adults with previously treated advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with high c-Met protein overexpression. News release. AbbVie. May 14, 2025. Accessed November 19, 2025. https://tinyurl.com/34atzbsv
2. FDA grants accelerated approval to datopotamab deruxtecan-dlnk for EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer. News release. FDA. June 23, 2025. Accessed November 19, 2025. https://tinyurl.com/mtay7ab9