By Anna C. Greene, PhD, NETRF Chief Scientific Officer
Clinical trial news in neuroendocrine cancer is moving quickly. In this roundup, we highlight recent developments across neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) and neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs), including a CAR T-cell therapy trial now pre-screening patients with NETs, new radiopharmaceutical therapy data, and growing interest in DLL3-targeted therapies for high-grade neuroendocrine cancers.
Featured Trial: A CAR T-Cell Therapy Trial Is Now Pre-Screening Patients With NETs
A multi-site CAR T-cell therapy clinical trial is pre-screening patients with neuroendocrine tumors and other solid tumors.
CAR T-cell therapy is a personalized form of immunotherapy. In this approach, a patient’s own immune cells are collected and modified in a laboratory so they can recognize and attack cancer cells. CAR T-cell therapies have changed treatment for some blood cancers, but their use in solid tumors, including NETs, remains largely investigational.
This study is testing CAR T cells designed to target IL13Rα2, a protein found on the surface of some cancers. IL13Rα2 may be found at high levels in some neuroendocrine tumors, pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma, adrenocortical carcinoma, melanoma, thyroid cancers, and other solid tumors. Patients with confirmed IL13Rα2 expression may be eligible for the trial.
One important point for patients: pre-screening does not mean a patient is committing to join the trial. The study team can request stored tumor tissue from a prior biopsy or surgery and test it for IL13Rα2 expression using immunohistochemistry, called IHC. Results can then be shared with the patient and their physician.
The trial is enrolling patients at UCLA, Stanford Medicine, and City of Hope. Principal investigators include Antoni Ribas, MD, PhD, at UCLA; Allison Betof Warner, MD, PhD, and Anusha Kalbasi, MD, at Stanford Medicine; and Yan Xing, MD, PhD, at City of Hope.
Patients or physicians interested in learning more about pre-screening can contact the study teams directly:
UCLA: Christy Sidhu, CRC, PICI, PICICenterResearch@mednet.ucla.edu
Stanford Medicine: Lucie Cutler, CRC, luciecut@stanford.edu
City of Hope: Claudia Aceves, CRC, caceves@coh.org
Radiopharmaceutical Therapy: More Data on PRRT and New Alpha-Emitting Approaches
Radiopharmaceutical therapy continues to be an active area of neuroendocrine cancer research. These treatments use a molecule that targets a receptor on cancer cells, often somatostatin receptor type 2 (SSTR2), and delivers radiation directly to the tumor.
COMPETE: Lu-177 Edotreotide Compared With Everolimus
The Phase 3 COMPETE trial compared investigational Lu-177 edotreotide, also called ITM-11, with everolimus in patients with advanced, progressive, grade 1 or grade 2, SSTR-positive gastroenteropancreatic NETs. In the study, median progression-free survival was longer with Lu-177 edotreotide than with everolimus, 23.9 months versus 14.1 months. The objective response rate was also higher, 22% versus 4%. ITM reported that ITM-11 is currently under FDA regulatory review and is not yet approved by any regulatory authority for any use.
OCLURANDOM: Lu-177 DOTATATE Compared With Sunitinib in Pancreatic NETs
The OCLURANDOM study evaluated Lu-177 DOTATATE versus sunitinib in patients with pre-treated, progressive, somatostatin receptor-positive metastatic pancreatic NETs. The published interpretation reported clinically significant anti-tumor activity for Lu-177 DOTATATE and better quality of life during the treatment phase.
Perspective Therapeutics: Testing an Alpha-Emitting Radiopharmaceutical
Perspective Therapeutics announced that the first patient was dosed in a new cohort of its Phase 1/2a study of [212Pb]VMT-α-NET. This investigational treatment is designed to target SSTR2-positive neuroendocrine tumors and deliver lead-212, an alpha-emitting radioactive particle, to tumor sites. The new cohort is testing a “front-loaded” dosing schedule while keeping the same cumulative dose, to explore whether timing and dose distribution may affect response and tolerability.
Together, these studies reflect continued work to define how radiopharmaceutical therapies fit into treatment sequencing, including how they compare with oral targeted therapies and whether newer alpha-emitting approaches may offer additional options for some patients.
Cabozantinib: New Analysis From the CABINET Trial
At ASCO 2026, Exelixis reported subgroup data from the Phase 3 CABINET trial evaluating cabozantinib in functional and non-functional NETs. Functional NETs can produce hormone-related symptoms. Non-functional NETs do not usually cause symptoms from hormone release, although they can still cause symptoms from tumor growth or spread.
The analysis suggested benefit in both functional and non-functional NETs, with no new safety signals reported. These findings add to evidence supporting cabozantinib as an option after progression on prior therapies and raise practical questions about sequencing and side effect management.
CHM-2101: A NETRF-Funded Research Milestone Now in Clinical Testing
CHM-2101 is an investigational CAR T-cell therapy targeting Cadherin 17, also called CDH17. It is being studied in people with relapsed or refractory gastrointestinal cancers, including certain well-differentiated intestinal NETs, such as NETs that start in parts of the small intestine, colon, or rectum.
This trial is an important NETRF research milestone. NETRF funded the early preclinical work led by Xianxin Hua, MD, PhD, at the University of Pennsylvania, beginning with a 2014 grant and later support through a 2018 Petersen Accelerator Award. Chimeric Therapeutics built on this NETRF-funded work to develop CHM-2101 for clinical testing. Read more about NETRF’s role in advancing this CAR T-cell therapy research.
At ASCO 2026, researchers presented early Phase 1 data from the ongoing CHM-2101 study. The abstract’s first author, Jennifer Eads, MD, and senior author, Daniel Halperin, MD, are members of NETRF’s Board of Scientific Advisors; Halperin also serves as BOSA Chair. As of May 12, 2026, 12 patients had been treated, including four patients with NETs. The study reported CAR T-cell expansion and persistence after infusion, and enrollment at dose level 3 was ongoing at U.S. cancer centers.
These results are early, but they show that a NETRF-funded idea has moved from preclinical research into a clinical trial for patients.
NEC Focus: DLL3-Targeted Therapies Are Moving Quickly
Several recent updates focus on DLL3, a protein found on many high-grade NECs, including small cell lung cancer and some extrapulmonary NECs. Extrapulmonary NEC (epNEC) is NEC that originates outside the lungs.
DLL3 is being studied as a target for several types of investigational therapies, including bispecific T-cell engagers, antibody-drug conjugates, and CAR T-cell therapies. It is important to separate this from the well-differentiated NET updates above. DLL3-targeted therapies are especially relevant to high-grade NECs, not necessarily to all NETs.
Boehringer Ingelheim announced two Phase 3 trials within its DAREON program evaluating obrixtamig, an investigational DLL3/CD3 T-cell engager. DAREON-Lung-1 is studying small cell lung cancer. DAREON-NEC-1 is studying epNEC.
SystImmune reported Phase 1 data for BL-M14D1, a DLL3-targeting antibody-drug conjugate, in small cell lung cancer and other DLL3-expressing tumors, including NEC.
Zai Lab announced that zocilurtatug pelitecan, also known as zoci and formerly ZL-1310, received U.S. FDA Fast Track designation for the treatment of previously treated epNEC. Zocilurtatug pelitecan is an investigational DLL3-targeting antibody-drug conjugate. Zai Lab reported preliminary Phase 1b/2 data in heavily pretreated people with epNEC and other selected solid tumors, including an objective response rate of 38.2%.
Legend Biotech presented first-in-human results for LB2102, an investigational DLL3-targeted CAR T-cell therapy, in relapsed or refractory small cell lung cancer and large-cell NEC. In the company’s ASCO 2026 report, LB2102 showed an overall objective response rate of 20% and disease control in 70%, with higher activity reported at dose level 3 or above.
For patients with NEC, these studies are not yet a replacement for standard treatment. They do, however, show that NEC-specific drug development is becoming more active and more biomarker-driven.
What This Means for Patients
These updates do not all mean the same thing. Some involve Phase 3 trials, which are larger studies that may affect treatment discussions sooner. Others are early-phase studies. These are important first steps that help researchers learn whether a treatment can be given safely, what dose should be studied, and whether there are early signs that the treatment may be helping. If the results are promising, the treatment may move forward into larger trials.
Clinical trials are one way researchers move new ideas into patient care. Not every trial is right for every patient. Eligibility can depend on tumor type, grade, prior treatments, biomarkers, imaging results, organ function, and location.
NETRF continues to follow emerging clinical research so patients and families can better understand what is changing and what is still investigational. At the same time, NETRF funds research designed to build the scientific foundation for future clinical trials, helping move promising ideas from the lab toward new treatment options for people with neuroendocrine cancer.
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Interested in clinical trials? Use the NETRF Clinical Trial Finder to explore studies for NETs and NECs, then talk with your care team about whether a trial may be right for you.