On May 11, 2026 Zai Lab Limited (NASDAQ: ZLAB; HKEX: 9688) reported the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track Designation to zocilurtatug pelitecan (zoci, formerly ZL-1310), the Company’s potential first-in-class Delta-like ligand 3 (DLL3)-targeting antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), for the treatment of extrapulmonary neuroendocrine carcinomas (epNECs) following progression after standard first-line therapy. epNECs are an aggressive malignancy affecting approximately 100,000 people worldwide, with no targeted therapies and no approved standard of care in previously treated disease.
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"This is the second FDA Fast Track Designation for zoci, underscoring the significant potential of this investigational medication to provide an important new treatment option for patients with difficult-to-treat cancers that have few available therapies," said Rafael G. Amado, M.D., President, Head of Global Research and Development at Zai Lab. "This designation will support our efforts to advance this novel therapy through clinical development with both the speed and quality that define our approach. We are actively engaging with health authorities on a registrational plan for epNECs."
Zai Lab reported promising preliminary data from an ongoing registration-enabling multicenter, Phase 1b/2 clinical trial of zoci (NCT06885281) in patients with epNEC and other selected solid tumors at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2026 last month. In heavily pretreated patients enrolled in the Phase 1b/2 study, zoci demonstrated encouraging antitumor activity, including an objective response rate (ORR) of 38.2%. Zoci also demonstrated a manageable safety profile—neutrophil count decrease was the only grade ≥3 treatment-related adverse event occurring in more than one patient.
Zai Lab received Fast Track designation for zoci for the treatment of extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) in May 2025. Fast Track designation facilitates the expedited development and review of new drugs to address an unmet medical need or treat serious or life-threatening diseases. Benefits of this designation include more frequent engagements with the FDA to discuss the drug’s clinical development plan and eligibility for Accelerated Approval and Priority Review if relevant criteria are met.
About Zocilurtatug Pelitecan (Zoci, ZL-1310)
Zoci targets Delta-like ligand 3 (DLL3), a validated therapeutic target for small cell lung cancer (SCLC) that is overexpressed in many neuroendocrine carcinomas and is generally associated with poor clinical outcomes. Zoci is on track to potentially become Zai Lab’s first global oncology launch, with plans for three registration-enabling studies across second-line SCLC, first-line SCLC, and extrapulmonary neuroendocrine carcinoma (epNEC) by the end of 2026. Its potential best-in-class safety profile, coupled with compelling systemic and intracranial efficacy, supports its potential role as a new standard of care in previously treated extensive stage small cell lung cancer, as well as a backbone DLL3-targeting antibody drug conjugate (ADC) in first line combination regimens, including those that reduce the burdens of chemotherapy, such as check point inhibitors and T-cell engagers.
(Press release, Zai Laboratory, MAY 11, 2026, View Source [SID1234665467])