THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., June 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) today announced new interim results from the global Phase 3 DeLLphi-304 trial showing IMDELLTRA® (tarlatamab-dlle) reduced the risk of death by 40% and significantly extended median overall survival (OS) by more than five months compared to standard-of-care (SOC) chemotherapy in patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) who progressed on or after one line of platinum-based chemotherapy (median OS: 13.6 vs 8.3 months; hazard ratio [HR], 0.60; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.47, 0.77; P < 0.001). The results will be presented at the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting (LBA8008) and have been published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
"Small cell lung cancer is an extraordinarily aggressive and difficult-to-treat disease, and those living with SCLC often experience limited benefit with first line treatment," said Jay Bradner, M.D., executive vice president, Research and Development, at Amgen. "These data underscore IMDELLTRA's potential to transform patient outcomes and the small cell lung cancer treatment paradigm."
At the planned interim analysis, DeLLphi-304 met its primary OS endpoint and key secondary progression-free survival (PFS) endpoint. Additionally, IMDELLTRA significantly improved patient-reported outcomes (PRO) for cancer-related symptoms of dyspnea and cough compared to the control arm.
"The data from DeLLphi-304 mark a major milestone for people with relapsed small cell lung cancer. Tarlatamab is associated with significant improvements in both overall and progression-free survival over standard chemotherapy in patients with recurrent or progressive disease," said Charles Rudin, M.D., Ph.D., deputy director, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. "This study also provides confirmatory data on management of potential toxicities associated with bispecific T-cell engager therapies in a large patient cohort, which is crucial to continuing to improve the experience of patients treated with these medicines."
At a median follow-up of 11.2 months for IMDELLTRA and 11.7 months for the control arm, data from the global Phase 3 DeLLphi-304 clinical trial showed a median OS of 13.6 months with IMDELLTRA compared to 8.3 months with local SOC chemotherapy (HR, 0.60; 95% CI: 0.47, 0.77; P < 0.001). Median PFS was statistically significantly improved for IMDELLTRA compared to local SOC chemotherapy (median PFS: 4.2 vs 3.7 months; HR, 0.71; 95% CI: 0.59, 0.86; P < 0.001).
The safety profile for IMDELLTRA in DeLLphi-304 was consistent with its known profile. In DeLLphi-304, lower rates of grade 3 or higher treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) occurred with IMDELLTRA versus the control arm (27% vs 62%) and discontinuations due to TRAEs were lower with IMDELLTRA compared to the control arm (3% vs 6%). The most common grade 3 or greater TRAEs were neutropenia (4%) and lymphopenia (4%) with IMDELLTRA and anemia (28%) and neutropenia (22%) with local SOC chemotherapy. Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) with IMDELLTRA primarily occurred after receipt of one of the first two doses and was primarily low grade (42% Grade 1; 13% Grade 2; 1% Grade 3) and manageable. No Grade 4 or Grade 5 CRS events were reported. CRS profiles following the first two doses of IMDELLTRA, including incidence, severity, outcome, time to intervention and time to resolution, were similar among patients who were monitored for 6 to 8 hours (n=43) and those who were monitored for 48 hours (n=209).
DeLLphi-304 is a global Phase 3, randomized, controlled, open-label clinical trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of IMDELLTRA as a treatment for patients living with SCLC who progressed on or after a single line of platinum-based chemotherapy.1 Five hundred and nine patients were randomized to receive either IMDELLTRA or local SOC chemotherapy (topotecan in all countries except Japan; lurbinectedin in the U.S., Canada, Australia, Singapore, Korea; and amrubicin in Japan).1,2 The primary outcome measure of the trial is OS.1 Key secondary outcome measures include PFS and PROs including disease-related symptoms, physical function and quality of life.1 DeLLphi-304 is intended to serve as the confirmatory trial for IMDELLTRA's accelerated approval for the treatment of adult patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) with disease progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy.
About IMDELLTRA® (tarlatamab-dlle)
IMDELLTRA is a first-in-class targeted immunotherapy engineered by Amgen researchers to bind to both DLL3 on tumor cells and CD3 on T cells, thereby activating T cells to kill DLL3-expressing SCLC cells. This results in the formation of a cytolytic synapse with lysis of the cancer cell.3,4 DLL3 is a protein that is expressed on the surface of SCLC cells in ~85-96% of patients with SCLC, but is minimally expressed on healthy cells, making it an exciting target.5,6
IMDELLTRA® (tarlatamab-dlle) U.S. Indication
IMDELLTRA® (tarlatamab-dlle) is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) with disease progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy.
This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate and duration of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in a confirmatory trial(s).
About Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC)
SCLC is one of the most aggressive and devastating solid tumor malignancies, with a 5-10% five-year relative survival rate across all stages combined.7 SCLC comprises about 15% of the more than 2.4 million patients diagnosed with lung cancer worldwide each year.8-10 Despite initial high response rates to first-line platinum-based chemotherapy, most patients quickly relapse within months and require subsequent treatment options.9
About Tarlatamab Clinical Trials
Amgen's robust tarlatamab development program includes the DeLLphi clinical trials, which evaluate tarlatamab as a monotherapy and as part of combination regimens, including in both earlier stages of SCLC and earlier lines of treatment.
Tarlatamab is being investigated in multiple studies including DeLLphi-303, a Phase 1b study investigating tarlatamab in combination with standard-of-care therapies in first-line ES-SCLC; DeLLphi-304, a randomized Phase 3 study comparing tarlatamab monotherapy with standard-of-care chemotherapy in second-line treatment of SCLC; DeLLphi-305, a randomized Phase 3 study comparing tarlatamab in combination with durvalumab versus durvalumab alone as first-line maintenance treatment in ES-SCLC; DeLLphi-306, a randomized placebo-controlled Phase 3 study of tarlatamab following concurrent chemoradiotherapy in limited-stage SCLC; DeLLphi-308, a Phase 1b study evaluating subcutaneous tarlatamab in second line or later ES-SCLC; DeLLphi-309, a Phase 2 study evaluating alternative intravenous dosing regimens with tarlatamab in second-line ES-SCLC; DeLLphi-310, a Phase 1b study of tarlatamab in combination with YL201 with or without anti-programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) in patients with ES-SCLC; and DeLLphi-312, a Phase 3 study evaluating tarlatamab as an induction and maintenance therapy in first-line treatment of ES-SCLC in combination with carboplatin, etoposide, and durvalumab.11
For more information, please visit www.tarlatamabclinicaltrials.com.
About Amgen
Amgen discovers, develops, manufactures and delivers innovative medicines to help millions of patients in their fight against some of the world's toughest diseases. More than 40 years ago, Amgen helped to establish the biotechnology industry and remains on the cutting-edge of innovation, using technology and human genetic data to push beyond what's known today. Amgen is advancing a broad and deep pipeline that builds on its existing portfolio of medicines to treat cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, inflammatory diseases and rare diseases.
In 2024, Amgen was named one of the "World's Most Innovative Companies" by Fast Company and one of "America's Best Large Employers" by Forbes, among other external recognitions. Amgen is one of the 30 companies that comprise the Dow Jones Industrial Average®, and it is also part of the Nasdaq-100 Index®, which includes the largest and most innovative non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market based on market capitalization.
For more information, visit Amgen.com and follow Amgen on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube and Threads.
IMDELLTRA® (tarlatamab-dlle) Important Safety Information (USPI)
WARNING: CYTOKINE RELEASE SYNDROME AND NEUROLOGIC TOXICITY including IMMUNE EFFECTOR CELL-ASSOCIATED NEUROTOXICITY SYNDROME
WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS
ADVERSE REACTIONS
DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION: Important Dosing Information
Please see IMDELLTRA® full Prescribing Information, including BOXED WARNINGS.
Amgen Forward-Looking Statements
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No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual results may differ materially from those we project. Discovery or identification of new product candidates or development of new indications for existing products cannot be guaranteed and movement from concept to product is uncertain; consequently, there can be no guarantee that any particular product candidate or development of a new indication for an existing product will be successful and become a commercial product. Further, preclinical results do not guarantee safe and effective performance of product candidates in humans. The complexity of the human body cannot be perfectly, or sometimes, even adequately modeled by computer or cell culture systems or animal models. The length of time that it takes for us to complete clinical trials and obtain regulatory approval for product marketing has in the past varied and we expect similar variability in the future. Even when clinical trials are successful, regulatory authorities may question the sufficiency for approval of the trial endpoints we have selected. We develop product candidates internally and through licensing collaborations, partnerships and joint ventures. Product candidates that are derived from relationships may be subject to disputes between the parties or may prove to be not as effective or as safe as we may have believed at the time of entering into such relationship. Also, we or others could identify safety, side effects or manufacturing problems with our products, including our devices, after they are on the market.
Our results may be affected by our ability to successfully market both new and existing products domestically and internationally, clinical and regulatory developments involving current and future products, sales growth of recently launched products, competition from other products including biosimilars, difficulties or delays in manufacturing our products and global economic conditions, including those resulting from geopolitical relations and government actions. In addition, sales of our products are affected by pricing pressure, political and public scrutiny and reimbursement policies imposed by third-party payers, including governments, private insurance plans and managed care providers and may be affected by regulatory, clinical and guideline developments and domestic and international trends toward managed care and healthcare cost containment. Furthermore, our research, testing, pricing, marketing and other operations are subject to extensive regulation by domestic and foreign government regulatory authorities. Our business may be impacted by government investigations, litigation and product liability claims. In addition, our business may be impacted by the adoption of new tax legislation or exposure to additional tax liabilities. Further, while we routinely obtain patents for our products and technology, the protection offered by our patents and patent applications may be challenged, invalidated or circumvented by our competitors, or we may fail to prevail in present and future intellectual property litigation. We perform a substantial amount of our commercial manufacturing activities at a few key facilities, including in Puerto Rico, and also depend on third parties for a portion of our manufacturing activities, and limits on supply may constrain sales of certain of our current products and product candidate development. An outbreak of disease or similar public health threat, and the public and governmental effort to mitigate against the spread of such disease, could have a significant adverse effect on the supply of materials for our manufacturing activities, the distribution of our products, the commercialization of our product candidates, and our clinical trial operations, and any such events may have a material adverse effect on our product development, product sales, business and results of operations. We rely on collaborations with third parties for the development of some of our product candidates and for the commercialization and sales of some of our commercial products. In addition, we compete with other companies with respect to many of our marketed products as well as for the discovery and development of new products. Further, some raw materials, medical devices and component parts for our products are supplied by sole third-party suppliers. Certain of our distributors, customers and payers have substantial purchasing leverage in their dealings with us. The discovery of significant problems with a product similar to one of our products that implicate an entire class of products could have a material adverse effect on sales of the affected products and on our business and results of operations. Our efforts to collaborate with or acquire other companies, products or technology, and to integrate the operations of companies or to support the products or technology we have acquired, may not be successful. There can be no guarantee that we will be able to realize any of the strategic benefits, synergies or opportunities arising from the Horizon acquisition, and such benefits, synergies or opportunities may take longer to realize than expected. We may not be able to successfully integrate Horizon, and such integration may take longer, be more difficult or cost more than expected. A breakdown, cyberattack or information security breach of our information technology systems could compromise the confidentiality, integrity and availability of our systems and our data. Our stock price is volatile and may be affected by a number of events. Our business and operations may be negatively affected by the failure, or perceived failure, of achieving our sustainability objectives. The effects of global climate change and related natural disasters could negatively affect our business and operations. Global economic conditions may magnify certain risks that affect our business. Our business performance could affect or limit the ability of our Board of Directors to declare a dividend or our ability to pay a dividend or repurchase our common stock. We may not be able to access the capital and credit markets on terms that are favorable to us, or at all.
Any scientific information discussed in this news release relating to new indications for our products is preliminary and investigative and is not part of the labeling approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the products. The products are not approved for the investigational use(s) discussed in this news release, and no conclusions can or should be drawn regarding the safety or effectiveness of the products for these uses.
CONTACT: Amgen, Thousand Oaks
Elissa Snook, 609-251-1407 (media)
Justin Claeys, 805-313-9775 (investors)
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