Kentucky Cancer Center Treats 1st US Patient with New Therapy

When doctors at the University of Kentucky's Markey Cancer Center treated their first patient with an experimental lung cancer drug in late October, they opened a door that could change outcomes for thousands of Americans facing a devastating diagnosis.

The center became the first in the country to test ZG006, a new immunotherapy designed specifically for small cell lung cancer patients whose disease has stopped responding to other treatments. This matters because small cell lung cancer is often diagnosed late and tends to come back quickly, even after chemotherapy and radiation seem to work at first.

What makes this drug different? It's a trispecific engager, meaning it has three arms instead of two. Two arms grab cancer cells much tighter than current treatments, while the third connects them to the body's disease-fighting T cells, essentially teaching the immune system to attack the cancer.

Dr. Zhonglin Hao, the medical oncologist leading the trial, calls it "the next step forward" in lung cancer treatment. The therapy builds on tarlatamab, a similar drug approved in 2024, but with a stronger grip on cancer cells that could help more patients respond to treatment.

The first patient handled the initial dose well, experiencing no side effects. Two weeks later, they returned for a second treatment that was also well tolerated.

The Ripple Effect

This breakthrough could impact patients beyond just shrinking tumors. Small cell lung cancer often spreads to the brain, typically requiring whole-brain radiation that can cause memory problems, exhaustion, and hair loss.

By helping control the disease throughout the body, this immunotherapy might reduce or even eliminate the need for brain radiation. That means patients could fight their cancer without losing their cognitive function or quality of life.

Kentucky patients getting access to this cutting-edge trial first isn't random. Markey Cancer Center earned its spot as one of only 57 National Cancer Institute designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the nation, a status that brings tomorrow's treatments to patients today.

The Phase 1 trial will eventually expand to six U.S. sites, building on promising results from an earlier trial in China. But for now, Kentuckians are leading the way.

"We want Kentuckians to be among the first to benefit from this newer drug," Dr. Hao said. "Clinical trials represent the future of cancer care."

For patients who thought they'd run out of options, that future is already here.