Chinese Innovative Oncology Drugs Shine at WCLC 2026 with Breakthrough Data in Lung Cancer Therapies

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(Source: The Paper)

From September 12 to 15, 2026 (local time), the World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC), hosted by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC), was held in South Korea. This conference is one of the largest and most multidisciplinary academic gatherings in the global lung cancer field.

Lung cancer accounts for approximately one-fifth of global cancer-related deaths and has consistently ranked first in both incidence and mortality among malignant tumors in China. The substantial clinical demand, coupled with continuous breakthroughs in treatment technologies, has made lung cancer one of the most heavily invested and fiercely competitive therapeutic areas for pharmaceutical companies worldwide.

At this conference, the participation of innovative drugs from China has further increased.Sinolink SecuritiesResearch reports indicate that a total of 19 studies on new drugs from China were selected for oral presentations, and 45 studies were selected for mini-oral presentations, setting a new record. According to the disclosed results, tumor immunotherapy and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) remain the focus of innovation, with some studies on domestically produced drugs achieving breakthroughs in key indicators such as overall survival (OS).

In the field of small cell lung cancer (SCLC), B7-H3-targeted antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) emerged as a highlight of the conference. Hansoh Pharma presented the interim analysis results of the Phase III ARTEMIS-008 study on its B7-H3 ADC, rekconlufotamab, at the Presidential Forum. The company stated that these results set a new record for the longest overall survival (OS) in second-line treatment of SCLC. ARTEMIS-008 also became the first positive randomized controlled Phase III study globally to confirm that a B7-H3 ADC can deliver an OS benefit. Rekconlufotamab is the first and currently only B7-H3 ADC to have demonstrated statistically significant survival benefits across multiple tumor types.

MediLink’s B7-H3 ADC, Tam-Peli (icovatamab pelidotin), also reported positive data. In the interim analysis of the Phase III TAISHAN-302 study, the primary endpoint of overall survival (OS) was met in patients with recurrent small cell lung cancer (SCLC) who had progressed after platinum-based chemotherapy with or without PD-L1 inhibitors. Compared with topotecan, Tam-Peli demonstrated a statistically and clinically significant OS benefit, reducing the risk of death by 54%.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which accounts for approximately 80% to 85% of lung cancer cases, has become the primary battlefield for the advancement of immunotherapy and the deepening of precision medicine.

Akeso Announces Results from the Phase III HARMONi-2 Study of Ivonescimab as First-Line Treatment for PD-L1–Positive Locally Advanced or Metastatic NSCLC. The study, which directly compared ivonescimab with pembrolizumab (Keytruda), demonstrated significant positive outcomes in both overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). It is the first randomized, double-blind, controlled Phase III trial globally to show significant OS and PFS benefits over pembrolizumab.

Keytruda is one of the most representative products in the era of cancer immunotherapy and a cornerstone of first-line treatment for lung cancer. The positive results achieved by Ivonescimab in head-to-head studies indicate that domestically developed innovative drugs have begun to challenge existing standard therapies in terms of competitive dimensions.

Certainly, multinational pharmaceutical companies are also continuously expanding the boundaries of lung cancer treatment. The latest exploratory analysis of AstraZeneca’s ADAURA Phase III study showed that osimertinib, as adjuvant therapy for patients with early-stage EGFR-mutated NSCLC who had undergone complete tumor resection, maintained sustained and clinically meaningful OS benefits at 8 years, marking the longest survival data reported to date in global Phase III studies in this field.

Trastuzumab deruxtecan, co-developed by AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo, demonstrated positive results in the Phase III DESTINY-Lung04 study. This study provided the first confirmation that trastuzumab deruxtecan offers superior progression-free survival (PFS) compared to the global standard first-line therapy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring HER2 mutations, further underscoring the potential of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) in the precision treatment of lung cancer.

China Post Securities' research report posits that the spotlight at the WCLC remains on IO (immuno-oncology) 2.0 agents and ADCs. The standard treatment paradigm for lung cancer, particularly first-line NSCLC, is on the verge of iteration. Currently, cornerstone IO 2.0 therapies, led by PD-1/VEGF bispecific antibodies, are progressively accumulating evidence of superior efficacy compared to monoclonal antibodies. The further iteration of IO 2.0 combined with ADCs is approaching the PoC (proof-of-concept) stage. With domestically produced bispecific antibodies and ADCs currently leading globally in development progress, investors are advised to closely monitor investment opportunities in related companies.