Lurbinectedin is a novel anticancer agent that has been shown to have promising preliminary activity in the treatment of relapsed small cell lung cancer (SCLC) when combined with pembrolizumab, an immune checkpoint inhibitor [3]. The combination of these two drugs has been shown to be well-tolerated and effective in treating patients with relapsed SCLC [3].

Immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that works by stimulating the body's immune system to attack cancer cells [2]. It has been shown to be effective in treating certain types of cancer, including lung cancer [2].

According to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, the combination of lurbinectedin and pembrolizumab has been shown to increase the number of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in patients with relapsed SCLC [2]. TILs are immune cells that are able to recognize and attack cancer cells [2].

The study also found that the combination of lurbinectedin and pembrolizumab was able to increase the expression of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) on tumor cells [2]. PD-L1 is a protein that is expressed on the surface of cancer cells and helps them evade the immune system [2]. By increasing the expression of PD-L1, the combination of lurbinectedin and pembrolizumab may make it easier for the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells [2].

In conclusion, the combination of lurbinectedin and pembrolizumab has been shown to increase the number of TILs and the expression of PD-L1 in patients with relapsed SCLC [2]. This suggests that lurbinectedin may enhance the efficacy of immunotherapy in the treatment of lung cancer. However, further research is needed to fully understand the effects of lurbinectedin on immunotherapy efficacy [1, 2, 3].

Sources:
[1] https://www.drugpatentwatch.com/p/tradename/LURBINECTEDIN
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8165873/
[3] https://www.cancernetwork.com/view/antonio-calles-md-highlights-promising-preliminary-activity-of-lurbinectedin-and-pembrolizumab-in-relapsed-sclc