TROPION-Lung17 TROP2 Biomarker Directed Phase 3 Trial of DATROWAY® Initiated in Patients with Previously Treated Advanced Nonsquamous Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Key Terms
non-small cell lung cancer medical
nsclc medical
antibody drug conjugate medical
adc medical
biomarker medical
quantitative continuous scoring technical
tyrosine kinase inhibitor medical
companion diagnostic medical
- First phase 3 trial to prospectively enroll patients with tumors that test positively for TROP2 NMR, a novel computational pathology biomarker to identify those most likely to benefit from Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca’s DATROWAY
DATROWAY is a specifically engineered TROP2 directed DXd antibody drug conjugate (ADC) discovered by Daiichi Sankyo (TSE: 4568) and being jointly developed and commercialized by Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca (LSE/STO/Nasdaq: AZN).
The current standard first-line treatment for advanced NSCLC without actionable genomic alterations is immunotherapy with or without platinum-based chemotherapy.1 However, most patients will eventually experience disease progression and traditional chemotherapy remains the current standard of care in the second-line and beyond settings.2,3,4,5 While TROP2 is a protein broadly expressed on the surface and inside of NSCLC cells, there is no established predictive biomarker that can identify patients who may benefit from a TROP2 directed antibody drug conjugate.6,7 TROPION-Lung17 is the first phase 3 clinical trial to prospectively enroll patients with tumors that test positively for TROP2 NMR, a biomarker measured using Quantitative Continuous Scoring (QCS), which is AstraZeneca’s computational pathology platform.
“We initiated TROPION-Lung17 to further evaluate DATROWAY in this patient population, building on results from retrospective analyses of several clinical trials, including TROPION-Lung01, which showed a correlation between TROP2 NMR positivity and outcomes for patients with lung cancer,” said Abderrahmane Laadem, MD, Head, Late-Stage Oncology Clinical Development, Daiichi Sankyo. “TROPION-Lung17 is the first phase 3 trial to prospectively enroll patients using a TROP2 biomarker to determine whether DATROWAY can improve survival compared to current standard of care chemotherapy.”
“TROPION-Lung17 aspires to bring a precision medicine approach to patients with advanced lung cancer in the second-line setting, where traditional chemotherapy remains the standard of care,” said Leora Horn, MD, MSC, FRCPC, Senior Vice President, Late Development Oncology, AstraZeneca. “Research has shown DATROWAY has the potential to improve outcomes in this setting, and we are confident the TROP2 NMR biomarker and its investigational AI-powered companion diagnostic – previously granted a Breakthrough Device Designation in the
TROPION-Lung17 is the ninth phase 3 trial evaluating DATROWAY in NSCLC. Ongoing trials in advanced NSCLC include four phase 3 trials in the first-line metastatic setting evaluating DATROWAY in combination with immunotherapy in tumors without actionable genomic alterations (AVANZAR, TROPION-Lung07, TROPION-Lung08 and TROPION-Lung10) and one phase 3 trial of DATROWAY in combination with osimertinib, AstraZeneca’s EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), (TROPION-Lung14) in EGFR-mutated NSCLC. Additional later-line phase 3 trials include evaluating DATROWAY with or without osimertinib (TROPION-Lung15) and DATROWAY alone (TROPION-Lung17).
About TROPION-Lung17
TROPION-Lung17 is a global, multicenter, randomized, open-label, phase 3 trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of DATROWAY (6 mg/kg) versus docetaxel in patients with TROP2 NMR positive locally advanced or metastatic nonsquamous NSCLC without actionable genomic alterations previously treated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor therapy and platinum-based chemotherapy. All patients will undergo prospective and central tumor testing for TROP2 NMR using the investigational VENTANA® TROP2 (EPR20043) RxDx Device (comprised of the companion diagnostic assay and computational pathology algorithm) and those with TROP2 NMR positive tumors will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive either DATROWAY or docetaxel.
The dual primary endpoints of TROPION-Lung17 are progression-free survival as assessed by blinded independent central review and overall survival. Key secondary endpoints include overall response rate, duration of response and safety.
TROPION-Lung17 will enroll approximately 400 patients across multiple sites in
About TROP2 NMR
TROP2 is a protein broadly expressed in NSCLC tumors.6,7 TROP2 expression on the surface of tumor cells, as measurable with conventional pathology methods, has not been predictive of patient responses to TROP2 directed therapies.8,9 Normalized membrane ratio (NMR) refers to the QCS enabled measure of a tumor cell’s surface TROP2 expression, relative to its surface and cytoplasm TROP2 expression. NSCLC is considered TROP2 NMR positive if at least
Exploratory analyses of the TROPION-Lung01 phase 3, TROPION-Lung02 phase 2 and TROPION-PanTumor02 phase 2 trials have shown a correlation between TROP2 NMR positivity and improved clinical outcomes in patients with NSCLC treated with DATROWAY.
Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca are collaborating with Roche Tissue Diagnostics to co-develop and commercialize the VENTANA TROP2 (EPR20043) RxDx Device as a novel AI-powered companion diagnostic for DATROWAY in lung cancer. The device was granted Breakthrough Device Designation by the
About Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is the most common cancer globally and is the leading cause of cancer-related death in both men and women.10 More than 2.48 million lung cancer cases were diagnosed in 2022, with 1.8 million deaths globally. NSCLC is the most common type of lung cancer, accounting for approximately
For patients with advanced NSCLC without actionable genomic alterations, immunotherapy with or without platinum-based chemotherapy is the standard first-line treatment.1 While these medicines have improved outcomes in the first-line metastatic setting, most patients experience disease progression and traditional chemotherapy remains the standard of care in the second-line and beyond setting.2,3,4,5
About DATROWAY
DATROWAY (datopotamab deruxtecan; datopotamab deruxtecan-dlnk in the
DATROWAY (6 mg/kg) is approved in more than 40 countries/regions worldwide for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic HR positive, HER2 negative (IHC 0, IHC 1+ or IHC 2+/ISH-) breast cancer who have received prior endocrine-based therapy and chemotherapy for unresectable or metastatic disease based on the results from the TROPION-Breast01 trial.
DATROWAY (6 mg/kg) is approved in
About the DATROWAY Clinical Development Program
A comprehensive global clinical development program is underway with more than 20 trials evaluating the efficacy and safety of DATROWAY across multiple cancers, including NSCLC, triple negative breast cancer and urothelial cancer. The program includes nine phase 3 trials in lung cancer, five phase 3 trials in breast cancer and one phase 3 trial in urothelial cancer evaluating DATROWAY as a monotherapy and in combination with other cancer treatments in various settings.
About the Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca Collaboration
Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca entered into a global collaboration to jointly develop and commercialize ENHERTU® in March 2019 and DATROWAY in July 2020, except in
About the ADC Portfolio of Daiichi Sankyo
The Daiichi Sankyo ADC portfolio consists of eight ADCs in clinical development crafted from ADC technology discovered in-house by Daiichi Sankyo.
The DXd ADC Technology platform of Daiichi Sankyo consists of six ADCs in clinical development where each ADC is comprised of a monoclonal antibody attached to a number of topoisomerase I inhibitor payloads (an exatecan derivative, DXd) via tetrapeptide-based cleavable linkers. The DXd ADCs include ENHERTU and DATROWAY, which are being jointly developed and commercialized globally with AstraZeneca, and ifinatamab deruxtecan (I-DXd), raludotatug deruxtecan (R-DXd) and patritumab deruxtecan (HER3-DXd), which are being jointly developed and commercialized globally with Merck & Co., Inc,
Additional ADCs being developed by Daiichi Sankyo include DS-9606, which consists of a monoclonal antibody attached to a modified pyrrolobenzodiazepine (PBD) payload and DS3610, which consists of an antibody attached to a novel immunomodulatory payload that acts as an agonist of STING.
Ifinatamab deruxtecan, raludotatug deruxtecan, patritumab deruxtecan, DS-3939, DS-9606 and DS3610 are investigational medicines that have not been approved for any indication in any country. Safety and efficacy have not been established.
DATROWAY
Indications
DATROWAY® is a Trop-2-directed antibody and topoisomerase inhibitor conjugate indicated for the treatment of:
-
adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have received prior EGFR-directed therapy and platinum-based chemotherapy.
This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on objective response rate and duration of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in the confirmatory trial.
- adult patients with unresectable or metastatic, hormone receptor (HR)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative (IHC 0, IHC 1+ or IHC 2+/ISH-) breast cancer who have received prior endocrine-based therapy and chemotherapy for unresectable or metastatic disease.
Contraindications
None.
Warnings and Precautions
Interstitial Lung Disease/Pneumonitis
DATROWAY can cause severe, life-threatening, or fatal interstitial lung disease (ILD) or pneumonitis.
Locally Advanced or Metastatic NSCLC
In the pooled safety population of 484 patients with NSCLC from TROPION-Lung01, TROPION-Lung05, and TROPION-PanTumor01, ILD/pneumonitis occurred in
Unresectable or Metastatic Breast Cancer
In the pooled safety population of 443 patients with breast cancer from TROPION-Breast01 and TROPION-PanTumor01, ILD/pneumonitis occurred in
Patients were excluded from clinical studies for a history of ILD/pneumonitis requiring treatment with steroids or for ongoing ILD/pneumonitis.
Monitor patients for new or worsening respiratory symptoms indicative of ILD/pneumonitis (e.g., dyspnea, cough, fever) during treatment with DATROWAY. For asymptomatic (Grade 1) ILD/pneumonitis, consider corticosteroid treatment (e.g., ≥0.5 mg/kg/day prednisolone or equivalent). For symptomatic ILD/pneumonitis (Grade 2 or greater), promptly initiate systemic corticosteroid treatment (e.g., ≥1 mg/kg/day prednisolone or equivalent) and continue for at least 14 days followed by gradual taper for at least 4 weeks.
Withhold DATROWAY in patients with suspected ILD/pneumonitis and permanently discontinue DATROWAY if ≥Grade 2 ILD/pneumonitis is confirmed.
Ocular Adverse Reactions
DATROWAY can cause ocular adverse reactions including dry eye, keratitis, blepharitis, meibomian gland dysfunction, increased lacrimation, conjunctivitis, and blurred vision.
In the pooled safety population, ocular adverse reactions occurred in
Patients with clinically significant corneal disease were excluded from clinical studies.
Advise patients to use preservative-free lubricant eye drops several times daily for prophylaxis. Advise patients to avoid use of contact lenses unless directed by an eye care professional.
Refer patients to an eye care professional for an ophthalmic exam including visual acuity testing, slit lamp examination (with fluorescein staining), intraocular pressure, and fundoscopy at treatment initiation, annually while on treatment, at end of treatment, and as clinically indicated.
Promptly refer patients to an eye care professional for any new or worsening ocular adverse reactions. Monitor patients for ocular adverse reactions during treatment with DATROWAY, and if diagnosis is confirmed, withhold, reduce the dose, or permanently discontinue DATROWAY based on severity.
Stomatitis
DATROWAY can cause stomatitis, including mouth ulcers and oral mucositis.
In the pooled safety population, stomatitis occurred in
In patients who received DATROWAY in TROPION-Breast01,
Advise patients to use a steroid-containing mouthwash for prophylaxis and treatment of stomatitis. Instruct the patient to hold ice chips or ice water in the mouth throughout the infusion of DATROWAY.
Monitor patients for signs and symptoms of stomatitis. If stomatitis occurs, increase the frequency of mouthwash and administer other topical treatments as clinically indicated. Based on the severity of the adverse reaction, withhold, reduce the dose, or permanently discontinue DATROWAY.
Embryo-Fetal Toxicity
Based on its mechanism of action, DATROWAY can cause embryo-fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman because the topoisomerase inhibitor component of DATROWAY, DXd, is genotoxic and affects actively dividing cells.
Advise patients of the potential risk to a fetus. Advise female patients of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with DATROWAY and for 7 months after the last dose. Advise male patients with female partners of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with DATROWAY and for 4 months after the last dose.
Adverse Reactions
The pooled safety population described in WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS reflects exposure to DATROWAY in 927 patients as a single agent at 6 mg/kg administered as an intravenous infusion once every 3 weeks (21-day cycle) until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. This included 137 patients with NSCLC in TROPION-Lung05, 297 patients with NSCLC in TROPION-Lung01, 360 patients with HR-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer in TROPION-Breast01, and 50 patients with NSCLC and 83 patients with breast cancer in TROPION-PanTumor01 (NCT03401385). Among 927 patients who received DATROWAY,
Locally Advanced or Metastatic EGFR-Mutated Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
TROPION-Lung05, TROPION-Lung01, TROPION-PanTumor01
The safety of DATROWAY was evaluated in 125 patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC who received DATROWAY 6 mg/kg administered as an intravenous infusion once every 3 weeks (21-day cycle) until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity in TROPION-Lung05 and TROPION-Lung01 as well as TROPION-PanTumor01 (NCT03401385). Among these patients, the median duration of treatment was 6.1 months (range 0.7 months to 41.7 months).
The median age was 63 years (range: 36 to 81),
Serious adverse reactions occurred in
Permanent discontinuation of DATROWAY due to an adverse reaction occurred in
Dosage interruptions of DATROWAY due to an adverse reaction occurred in
Dose reductions of DATROWAY due to an adverse reaction occurred in
The most common (≥
Clinically relevant adverse reactions occurring in <
Unresectable or Metastatic, HR-Positive, HER2-Negative Breast Cancer
TROPION-Breast01
The safety of DATROWAY was evaluated in 360 patients with unresectable or metastatic HR-positive, HER2-negative (IHC 0, IHC1+ or IHC2+/ISH-) breast cancer who received at least one dose of DATROWAY 6 mg/kg in TROPION-Breast01. DATROWAY was administered by intravenous infusion once every three weeks. The median duration of treatment was 6.7 months (range: 0.7 months to 16.1 months) for patients who received DATROWAY.
Serious adverse reactions occurred in
Permanent discontinuation of DATROWAY due to an adverse reaction occurred in
Dosage interruptions of DATROWAY due to an adverse reaction occurred in
Dose reductions of DATROWAY due to an adverse reaction occurred in
The most common (≥
Clinically relevant adverse reactions occurring in <
Use in Specific Populations
- Pregnancy: Based on its mechanism of action, DATROWAY can cause embryo-fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman because the topoisomerase inhibitor component of DATROWAY, DXd, is genotoxic and affects actively dividing cells. There are no available data on the use of DATROWAY in pregnant women to inform a drug-associated risk. Advise patients of the potential risks to a fetus.
- Lactation: There are no data regarding the presence of datopotamab deruxtecan-dlnk or its metabolites in human milk, the effects on the breastfed child, or the effects on milk production. Because of the potential for serious adverse reactions in a breastfed child, advise women not to breastfeed during treatment with DATROWAY and for 1 month after the last dose.
- Females and Males of Reproductive Potential: Pregnancy Testing: Verify pregnancy status of females of reproductive potential prior to initiation of DATROWAY. Contraception: Females: Advise females of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with DATROWAY and for 7 months after the last dose. Males: Because of the potential for genotoxicity, advise male patients with female partners of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with DATROWAY and for 4 months after the last dose. Infertility: Based on findings in animal toxicity studies, DATROWAY may impair male and female reproductive function and fertility. The effects on reproductive organs in animals were irreversible.
- Pediatric Use: Safety and effectiveness of DATROWAY have not been established in pediatric patients.
-
Geriatric Use: Of the 125 patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC in TROPION-Lung05, TROPION-Lung01, TROPION-PanTumor01 treated with DATROWAY 6 mg/kg,
44% were ≥65 years of age and10% were ≥75 years of age. No clinically meaningful differences in efficacy and safety were observed between patients ≥65 years of age versus younger patients. Of the 365 patients in TROPION-Breast01 treated with DATROWAY 6 mg/kg,25% were ≥65 years of age and5% were ≥75 years of age. Grade ≥3 and serious adverse reactions were more common in patients ≥65 years (42% and25% , respectively) compared to patients <65 years (33% and15% , respectively). In TROPION-Breast01, no other meaningful differences in safety or efficacy were observed between patients ≥65 years of age versus younger patients. - Renal Impairment: A higher incidence of ILD/pneumonitis has been observed in patients with mild and moderate renal impairment (creatinine clearance [CLcr] 30 to <90 mL/min). Monitor patients with renal impairment for increased adverse reactions, including respiratory reactions. No dosage adjustment is recommended in patients with mild to moderate renal impairment. The effect of severe renal impairment (CLcr <30 mL/min) on the pharmacokinetics of datopotamab deruxtecan-dlnk or DXd is unknown.
- Hepatic Impairment: No dosage adjustment is recommended in patients with mild hepatic impairment (total bilirubin ≤ULN and any AST >ULN or total bilirubin >1 to 1.5 times ULN and any AST). Limited data are available in patients with moderate hepatic impairment (total bilirubin >1.5 to 3 times ULN and any AST). Monitor patients with moderate hepatic impairment for increased adverse reactions. The recommended dosage of DATROWAY has not been established for patients with severe hepatic impairment (total bilirubin >3 times ULN and any AST).
To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Daiichi Sankyo, Inc. at 1-877-437-7763 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or fda.gov/medwatch.
Please see accompanying full Prescribing Information, including WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS, and Medication Guide.
About Daiichi Sankyo
Daiichi Sankyo is an innovative global healthcare company contributing to the sustainable development of society that discovers, develops and delivers new standards of care to enrich the quality of life around the world. With more than 120 years of experience, Daiichi Sankyo leverages its world-class science and technology to create new modalities and innovative medicines for people with cancer, cardiovascular and other diseases with high unmet medical need. For more information, please visit www.daiichisankyo.com.
____________________ |
References |
1 American Cancer Society. Treatment Choices for Non-small Cell Lung Cancer, by Stage. Accessed January 2026. |
2 Insa A, et al. Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology. 2022;169(10);1016:103538. |
3 Chen R, et al. J Hematol Oncol. 2020:13(1):58. |
4 Majeed U, et al. J Hematol Oncol. 2021;14(1):108. |
5 Pircher A, et al. Anticancer Research. 2020;70(5):287-294. |
6 Mito R, et al. Pathol Int. 2020;70(5):287-294. |
7 Shvartsur A, et al. Genes & Cancer. 2015 Mar;6(3-4): 84-105. |
8 Shimizu T, et al. J Clin Oncol 2023;41:4678-87. |
9 Heist RS, et al. J Clin Oncol. 2017;35:2790-7. |
10 World Health Organization. International Agency for Research on Cancer. Globocan Lung cancer Fact Sheet. Version 1.1; August 2024. Accessed January 2026. |
11 Leiter A, et al. Nat Rev Clin Oncol. 2023;20(9):624–639. |
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260112719100/en/
Media Contacts:
Global/US:
Jennifer Brennan
Daiichi Sankyo
jennifer.brennan@daiichisankyo.com
+1 908 900 3183 (mobile)
Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd.
DS-PR_jp@daiichisankyo.com
Investor Relations Contact:
DaiichiSankyoIR_jp@daiichisankyo.com
Source: Daiichi Sankyo