A new drug is effective at decreasing recurrence of and death from endometrial cancer, a landmark international study shows. The drug, called sacituzumab tirumotecan (sac-TMT), attaches to a protein on the surface of tumour cells and then delivers a targeted dose of a chemical that leads to cancer cell death.
Cancers of the endometrium are the most common in the female reproductive system. They are becoming more deadly and have few effective treatment options, especially if diagnosed late, researchers say. Moreover, until now, no standard therapies have existed to prevent or stall its recurrence after initial chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
In the phase 3 TroFuse-005/ENGOT-en23/GOG-3095 trial (NCT06132958), sac-TMT reduced the risk of progression by 41% and death by 32% versus chemotherapy in patients with advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer previously treated with chemotherapy plus pembrolizumab.
Objective response rates were 35.1% with sac-TMT versus 17.3% with chemotherapy. Common adverse events included anaemia, neutropenia, stomatitis and ocular toxicity, described as manageable. The antibody–drug conjugate targets Trop-2, which is highly expressed on endometrial cancer cells.
Results were presented at ESMO 2026 and published simultaneously in The Lancet. Dr Bhavana Pothuri (NYU Grossman School of Medicine) stated that the findings establish sac-TMT as a new standard after immunotherapy and will require guideline reassessment. Dr Michelle Lightfoot noted the particular relevance for aggressive subtypes that disproportionately affect Black patients, who have roughly double the mortality risk. The drug may also be relevant to other Trop-2-overexpressing tumours (lung, breast, ovary, gastrointestinal).
Source: EurekAlert!
