Pharmaceutical Executive Daily: China Approves Amgen's Tarlatamab for Previously Treated Extensive-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer

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In today's Pharmaceutical Executive Daily, China approves Amgen's tarlatamab for previously treated extensive-stage small cell lung cancer, a large study identifies genetic predictors of GLP-1 weight loss efficacy and side effects, and Pharmaceutical Executive speaks with Phenomix CEO Mark Bagnall on the complex realities of GLP-1 usage that many patients don't anticipate.

China's National Medical Products Administration has approved tarlatamab, Amgen's DLL3-targeting bispecific T-cell engager therapy marketed as Imdelltra, for adult patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer whose disease has progressed following platinum-based chemotherapy. The approval, commercialized in China through Amgen's partner BeOne Medicines, is supported by Phase II data from the DeLLphi-301 study, which showed a 46.3 percent objective response rate and a median overall survival of 19 months in previously treated patients. Cytokine release syndrome occurred in roughly half of patients but was exclusively grade 1 or 2, with no treatment discontinuations attributed to treatment-related toxicity. The China approval follows full FDA approval in November 2025 and extends tarlatamab's commercial footprint into one of the largest lung cancer markets in the world.

Researchers at the 23andMe Research Institute have published a large genome-wide association study in Nature identifying genetic predictors of both weight loss efficacy and side effects among 27,885 GLP-1 medication users. The study identified a missense variant in the GLP1R gene significantly associated with greater weight loss on GLP-1 therapies and found that variation in both GLP1R and GIPR genes is linked to nausea and vomiting, with the GIPR association specific to tirzepatide rather than semaglutide. Among study participants, estimated weight loss ranged from 6 to 20% of starting body weight, and the likelihood of nausea ranged from 5 to 78 percent, depending on genetics and other clinical factors. The findings point toward a future in which genetic testing could help personalize GLP-1 prescribing decisions, and 23andMe has released an interactive GLP-1 report for members of its Total Health service.

Finally, Pharmaceutical Executive speaks with Mark Bagnall, CEO of Phenomix Sciences, on the complex downstream impact of GLP-1 usage that new data from Phenomix and the Mayo Clinic is bringing into focus. Bagnall discusses the significant out-of-pocket costs patients face managing side effects, with a notable share spending up to $5,000 annually beyond the cost of the drug itself, as well as muscle mass loss as an underrecognized consequence of GLP-1 therapy, and the 10 to 20% of patients who discontinue within the first year due to severe side effects or insufficient weight loss.

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