Researchers are looking for new ways to treat extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC). ES-SCLC is a type of lung cancer that has spread throughout the lung, to the other lung, or to other parts of the body. A standard (usual) treatment for ES-SCLC uses both chemotherapy and immunotherapy. * Chemotherapy is a treatment that works to destroy cancer cells or stop them from growing. * Immunotherapy is a treatment that helps the immune system fight cancer. Gocatamig and I-DXd (short for ifinatamab deruxtecan) are study medicines. Researchers want to know if giving gocatamig and I-DXd together can treat ES-SCLC. Researchers will also look at giving the study medicines with standard treatment. Gocatamig is a T-cell engager therapy. I-DXd is an antibody drug conjugate. * T-cell engager therapy is a certain type of immunotherapy that uses T-cells to find and destroy cancer cells. * A T-cell is a type of white blood cell, which are cells that help the body fight infection. * An antibody drug conjugate (ADC) is a treatment that attaches to a protein on cancer cells and delivers treatment to destroy those cells. The goals of this study are to learn: * About the safety of combining gocatamig and I-DXd and if people tolerate them together * If people who receive gocatamig and I-DXd have ES-SCLC respond, which means the cancer gets smaller or goes away
Phase 1 trials primarily test safety and dosing in a small number of participants (typically 20–100). Results do not yet speak to efficacy. FDA approval is typically many years away from this stage.
Phase 2 trials begin testing efficacy in a larger patient group (100–300). This is often where biotech binary events occur — positive Phase 2 data can significantly advance a company's pipeline narrative, while failures can be terminal for a program.
Currently recruiting: the trial is enrolling patients. A data readout is not expected until after enrollment closes and the follow-up period is complete.
Merck & Co (MRK) is the sponsoring company for this trial. BiotechSign currently grades this company F (35/100) based on composite catalyst signals across its full pipeline. This trial is one data point in that overall catalyst picture.