Groundbreaking new antibody therapy offers lung cancer patients new hope

A ground-breaking therapy to treat an aggressive type of lung cancer in patients has been administered for the first time to a patient, under the care of leading thoracic oncologist, Dr Dionysios Papadatos-Pastos and his team.

Lung cancer specialist Dr Dionysios Papadatos-Pastos, said he was delighted The London Clinic was the first private hospital to offer bispecific antibody therapy (Tarlatamab) to a patient, who received it earlier this year.

He explained, “Our first patient started Tarlatamab after their cancer had worsened despite two previous rounds of chemotherapy. Treatment options were very limited, but after just a few infusions of Tarlatamab, scans showed the tumours had shrunk significantly. The patient experienced only mild side effects and is maintaining a good quality of life throughout treatment.

“Tarlatamab has been shown to work better than traditional chemotherapy for patients whose cancer has progressed after initial treatment. It needs to be given in a specialist centre experienced with these advanced therapies, and we’re proud that The London Clinic was the first independent hospital in the UK to offer this ground-breaking treatment to eligible patients.”

For patients with small cell lung cancer, treatment options can become very limited once the cancer returns after initial therapy.

Tarlatamab is a new type of cancer treatment that helps the body’s own immune system find and attack small cell lung cancer cells. It works like a bridge, connecting the cancer cells (which have a marker called DLL3) to immune cells (called T cells) so they can destroy the cancer. In simple terms, it trains the immune system to better recognise and kill hidden cancer cells.

The London Clinic is a world leader in the private treatment and care of people diagnosed with cancer and their families. The award-winning Duchess of Devonshire Wing is one of the most modern and technologically advanced cancer hospitals in the UK.