Japanese pharmaceutical company Daiichi Sankyo (Tokyo:4568) announced on Wednesday that the first patient has been dosed in a global phase 2 trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of DS-7300 in patients with pretreated extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC).

DS-7300 is a potential first-in-class B7-H3 directed antibody drug conjugate (ADC) discovered and being developed by Daiichi Sankyo.

Most patients with SCLC are diagnosed with extensive-stage disease and have a five-year survival rate as low as 3%, highlighting the significant unmet need for more effective treatment options, Daiichi Sankyo said.

The trial aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of two doses (8 mg/kg or 12 mg/kg) of DS-7300 in patients with histologically or cytologically confirmed extensive-stage SCLC that received at least one prior line of platinum-based chemotherapy.

Approximately 80 patients will take part in the study across Asia, Europe and North America.