The next generation of immunotherapies for lung cancers

Abstract

Immunotherapies, specifically immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) targeting PD-(L)1 or CTLA4, have revolutionized the treatment of lung cancer; however, many patients do not have a response to ICIs and most of those with an initial tumour response eventually have disease progression owing to acquired resistance. Over the past few years, numerous therapeutic strategies have been explored to address the problems of intrinsic and acquired resistance to ICIs. In 2024, regulatory approvals of the bispecific PD-1 × VEGF antibody ivonescimab for the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer in China and the bispecific DLL3 × CD3 T cell engager tarlatamab for patients with small cell lung cancer in the USA provided clinical proof-of-concept for overcoming the challenge of ICI resistance using novel immunotherapeutic agents, thereby increasing enthusiasm for the exploration of next-generation immunotherapies for lung cancer. A large variety of immunotherapies with diverse targets and mechanisms of action are currently being tested in clinical trials involving patients with lung cancer. In this Review, we provide an overview of these emerging immunotherapies in clinical development for non-small-cell lung cancer and/or small cell lung cancer, including novel immune-checkpoint modulators, immune cell engagers, adoptive cell therapies and therapeutic cancer vaccines. We describe the designs of these agents and the mechanisms by which they might overcome resistance to the current generation of ICIs. We also discuss hurdles impeding the clinical translation of each immunotherapeutic modality and potential strategies to address these challenges, using representative examples of agents that have entered the later phases of clinical testing.