All That Glitters Is Not Gold: The Story of Rovalpituzumab Tesirine in SCLC

Extensive-disease SCLC (ED-SCLC) is a recalcitrant disease. There had been no new therapies for more than three decades and no improvement in patient outcomes until the introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in the first-line setting. These agents, atezolizumab and durvalumab, have modestly improved the survival of the patients with ED-SCLC.1,2 For a previously treated population, topotecan, amrubicin (approved in Japan), and recently lurbinectedin (only approved by the Food and Drug Administration [FDA]) remain the only approved treatments.