WCLC24: Merck & Daiichi Sankyo’s ADC Shows Promising Results in Small Cell Lung Cancer

Collaboration:
Daiichi Sankyo and Merck & Co. have entered into a global collaboration to jointly develop and commercialize ifinatamab deruxtecan (I-DXd), a B7-H3 directed ADC, for the treatment of small cell lung cancer (SCLC), except in Japan where Daiichi Sankyo retains exclusive rights.

Clinical Trials:
The IDeate-Lung02 Phase 3 trial has been initiated to evaluate ifinatamab deruxtecan in patients with relapsed SCLC versus investigator’s choice of chemotherapy.

Orphan Drug Designation:
Ifinatamab deruxtecan has been granted orphan drug designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in April 2023 and by the European Commission in February 2024 for the treatment of SCLC.

ADC Portfolio:
Daiichi Sankyo’s DXd ADC portfolio includes several ADCs in clinical development across multiple types of cancer, including ifinatamab deruxtecan, which is part of the collaboration with Merck.

WCLC24 and ESMO Presentations:
Daiichi Sankyo will present new clinical research across its ADC portfolio at the IASLC 2024 World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC24) and the 2024 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO24), highlighting progress in lung and other cancers.

Expanded Collaboration:
The collaboration between Daiichi Sankyo and Merck has been expanded to include MK-6070, an investigational delta-like ligand 3 (DLL3) targeting T-cell engager, which will be jointly developed and commercialized worldwide, except in Japan where Merck retains exclusive rights.