Jeffrey P. Ward, MD, PhD

Funded by the American Lung Association’s Accelerator Program and the Gateway for Cancer Research 

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive type of lung cancer that typically grows and spreads very quickly. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and immunotherapy can help control the spread, but treatment options are limited for cancer progression. As a treatment option, this project will investigate the effects of an experimental drug, MGC018, an antibody drug conjugate (ADC). ADCs have two main components: the antibody which helps the drug find and attach specifically to cancer cells and an active chemotherapy agent which kills cancer cells. By intentionally seeking out cancer cells, ADCs are able to provide more focused treatment compared to traditional chemotherapy which can affect both tumor and non-tumor cells in equal measures. Safety and tolerability will be assessed in patients taking the drug, and the main focus will be to determine if MGC018 helps to shrink patients’ cancers.