ASCO 2026: Lilly’s Retevmo tied to dramatic outcomes in early‑stage RET fusion‑positive lung cancer

Retevmo (selpercatinib), Eli Lilly’s RET inhibitor, has shown dramatic outcomes in early‑stage lung cancer with a rare RET fusion biomarker in the Phase 3 LIBRETTO‑432 trial presented at the 2026 ASCO Annual Meeting.

In adjuvant treatment of early‑stage (IB–IIIA) RET fusion‑positive non‑small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), Retevmo cut the risk of disease recurrence or death by about 83% versus placebo, with investigator‑assessed event‑free survival (EFS) as the primary endpoint.

Two years after starting treatment, roughly 92% of patients on Retevmo were alive and cancer‑free, compared with about 61% in the placebo group, a result described as "striking" and with the potential to make Retevmo a new standard‑of‑care option in early‑stage RET‑positive lung cancer.

RET fusions occur in about 1–2% of lung cancers, typically in younger, light‑ or non‑smokers, and were already established as a targetable driver in advanced disease; these data now position RET as a biomarker associated with dramatic outcomes in early‑stage NSCLC alongside EGFR and ALK fusions, reinforcing the need for comprehensive biomarker testing at diagnosis.