ESMO 2026 Day 2: 10 Highlights Across Cancer Treatment Modalities
Combination strategies led Day 2. A T-cell engager plus checkpoint blockade extended survival in small-cell lung cancer. An ADC–immunotherapy regimen delivered a bladder-cancer survival win. Personalized vaccines and newer bispecifics added evidence across different stages of development.
These 10 highlights cover October 24 presentations, including results disclosed before their formal sessions. With markets closed for the weekend, the focus is the modalities, clinical results and remaining questions.
1. Amgen/AstraZeneca ($AMGN/$AZN): A T-cell engager moves earlier
DeLLphi-305 | Phase 3 | LBA3
Imdelltra, a DLL3×CD3 bispecific T-cell engager, plus the PD-L1 antibody Imfinzi extended median overall survival to 21.1 vs. 12.7 months in first-line maintenance for extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer, reducing death risk by 58%. Survival was measured from maintenance randomization; grade ≥3 treatment-related adverse events were 20.9% vs. 10.8%.
2. AstraZeneca ($AZN): ADC plus immunotherapy delivers in bladder cancer
VOLGA | Phase 3 | LBA2
The Nectin-4 ADC enfortumab vedotin plus PD-L1 blockade with Imfinzi improved two-year event-free survival to 64% vs. 45% and overall survival to 78% vs. 69%. Patients were cisplatin-ineligible or declined cisplatin. These are the doublet results; grade 3–4 all-cause adverse events were 64% vs. 44%.
3. Moderna/Merck ($MRNA/$MRK): Personalized mRNA reaches the main stage
INTerpath-001 | Phase 3 | LBA1
Intismeran, a personalized mRNA neoantigen vaccine, plus the PD-1 antibody Keytruda reduced recurrence-or-death risk by 42% and distant-metastasis-or-death risk by 38% in resected melanoma. Overall survival remains immature. Today’s formal presentation followed the October 22 disclosure; these are the primary intention-to-treat results.
4. Bayer/Orion: Oral androgen-receptor inhibition targets earlier disease
DASL-HiCaP | Phase 3 | LBA4
Adding darolutamide, an oral small-molecule androgen-receptor inhibitor, to androgen deprivation and radiotherapy reduced metastasis-or-death risk by 58% in prostate cancer at high risk of recurrence. Four-year metastasis-free survival reached 95% vs. 88%. Overall-survival benefit remains unproven, and darolutamide is not approved for this setting.
5. Lilly ($LLY): An ovarian ADC combination shows early activity
Sofetabart mipitecan | Phase 1 | 1246RO
The FRα-targeting ADC, carrying a topoisomerase-I inhibitor payload, plus the VEGF-A antibody bevacizumab produced 79.3% confirmed responses (23/29) in platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer. Median response duration remained unreached. This is a small, uncontrolled cohort; grade ≥3 neutropenia occurred in 42% of treated patients.
6. Immatics ($IMTX): An off-the-shelf PRAME approach
IMA402 | Phase 1b | 1955RO
This PRAME-directed, TCR-based bispecific T-cell engager achieved 25% confirmed responses (10/40) in the recommended-dose efficacy population. In PRAME-high melanoma, responses reached 32% (7/22), with 12.5-month median response duration. The early activity is encouraging, but these selected, uncontrolled cohorts cannot establish comparative efficacy.
7. BeOne Medicines ($ONC): A different way to activate T cells
BGB-B2033 | Phase 1 | 1679O
The GPC3×4-1BB bispecific antibody is designed to activate T cells around GPC3-expressing tumors. Confirmed responses reached 36% at the selected Phase 3 dose in previously treated hepatocellular carcinoma. Across dose levels, grade ≥3 treatment-related adverse events occurred in 5.3%. Randomized evidence is still needed.
8. Compass ($CMPX): Dual angiogenesis blockade, unresolved survival
COMPANION-002 | Phase 2/3 | Oral presentation
Tovecimig, a DLL4×VEGF-A bispecific antibody, plus paclitaxel improved median progression-free survival to 4.7 vs. 2.6 months in biliary tract cancer. The new crossover-adjusted survival analysis remained nonsignificant (HR 0.85; p=0.53). Grade ≥3 treatment-emergent adverse events were 93.5% vs. 64.2%, keeping tolerability central.
9. AstraZeneca ($AZN): Checkpoint blockade plus DNA-repair inhibition
DUO-E | Phase 3 | LBA37
Imfinzi, a PD-L1 antibody, with chemotherapy followed by Imfinzi plus oral PARP inhibitor Lynparza produced median overall survival of 51.1 vs. 39.6 months with the chemotherapy control regimen in advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer. This remains an interim numerical difference, with final overall-survival analysis pending.
10. Celcuity ($CELC): Broader pathway inhibition in breast cancer
VIKTORIA-1 | Phase 3 | LBA16
Gedatolisib, a small-molecule pan-PI3K/mTORC1/2 inhibitor, plus fulvestrant and palbociclib delivered median progression-free survival of 21.5 vs. 9.1 months with alpelisib plus fulvestrant in the PIK3CA-mutant subgroup without liver metastases. Today’s update adds subgroup and durability evidence; this figure is not the overall trial result.
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Article history:
First published 10/24/26 MD
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