Lurbinectedin is a chemotherapy drug that is used to treat various types of cancer, including lung cancer. It works by interfering with the DNA in cancer cells, preventing them from dividing and growing. According to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology [2], lurbinectedin has been found to be effective in enhancing the response to immunotherapy in patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC).

The study showed that the combination of lurbinectedin and immunotherapy resulted in a higher overall response rate and longer progression-free survival compared to immunotherapy alone. The researchers suggest that lurbinectedin may help to sensitize cancer cells to the effects of immunotherapy by enhancing the presentation of tumor antigens and increasing the infiltration of immune cells into the tumor microenvironment.

Another article on OncLive [3] discusses the use of immunotherapy and targeted therapies in lung cancer treatment. The article notes that while immunotherapy has shown great promise in treating non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), it has been less effective in SCLC. However, the combination of lurbinectedin and immunotherapy has shown promise in enhancing the response to immunotherapy in SCLC patients.

In conclusion, the available evidence suggests that lurbinectedin may be effective in enhancing the response to immunotherapy in patients with SCLC. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings and to determine the optimal dosing and scheduling of lurbinectedin in combination with immunotherapy.

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(31): 3629-3637. doi: 10.1200/JCO.20.01592.
[3] Immunotherapy and Targeted Therapies Continue to Improve Patient Outcomes in Lung Cancer. OncLive. https://www.onclive.com/view/immunotherapy-and-targeted-therapies-continue-to-improve-patient-outcomes-in-lung-cancer. Accessed October 5, 2021.
[1] Drug Patent Watch. Lurbinectedin. https://www.drugpatentwatch.com/p/tradename/LURBINECTEDIN. Accessed October 5, 2021.