VCU Quest Fund Backs Venetoclax-Tarlatamab Combination Study in Small Cell Lung Cancer
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The VCU Quest Fund has awarded internal funding to a project investigating whether venetoclax can sensitize small cell lung cancer (search) to tarlatamab, a DLL3 (search)-targeting bispecific T-cell engager.
The study is led by Anthony Faber, Ph.D., of the VCU School of Dentistry, as part of the 2026 Quest Fund awards supporting early-stage, high-potential research.
The project aims to explore a novel combination strategy that could enhance immunotherapy sensitivity in a difficult-to-treat malignancy with limited therapeutic options.
Virginia Commonwealth University has named the recipients of its 2026 VCU Quest Fund awards, an internal funding program designed to fuel early-stage research with the potential to translate into clinical or commercial impact. Among the funded projects is a preclinical investigation led by Anthony Faber, Ph.D., of the VCU School of Dentistry, titled "Venetoclax Sensitizes Tarlatamab in Small Cell Lung Cancer (search)."
The project explores a combination strategy pairing venetoclax, a BCL-2 (search) inhibitor, with tarlatamab, a bispecific T-cell engager targeting DLL3 (search), in small cell lung cancer (search) (SCLC). SCLC remains one of the most aggressive forms of lung cancer, with limited therapeutic options and poor long-term outcomes. The study seeks to determine whether venetoclax can enhance tumor sensitivity to tarlatamab, potentially opening a new avenue for combination immunotherapy in this recalcitrant malignancy.
The Quest Fund, administered through VCU's Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation, provides critical backing to faculty across all disciplines, with special emphasis on projects that champion transdisciplinary research, cross-campus collaboration and innovation with the potential to translate directly into the marketplace or a healthcare setting.
"The Quest Fund is a vital pipeline for VCU's research enterprise," said P. Srirama Rao, Ph.D., vice president for research and innovation. "By investing in our faculty at these critical early stages, we are enabling them to push the boundaries of their research. This fund ensures that new, emerging and continuing research programs have the institutional backing needed to scale into major, externally funded initiatives."
Rao further emphasized the university's commitment to supporting its research community, noting that internal funding mechanisms are especially important "as the extramural funding landscape continues to evolve."
To qualify for funding, Quest applicants must demonstrate how their proposed work advances their discipline while aligning with the VCU Strategic Research Priorities Plan. Lydia Klinger, director for collaborative strategies, and Gianna DeMarco, project administrator, work with award recipients throughout the funding term, tracking progress and supporting impact.
The Faber project represents one of several health sciences awards in the 2026 cycle. Other medically oriented projects include a study on transdermal naloxone oleogel formulations for fentanyl overdose reversal, development of a chimeric subunit vaccine for ehrlichiosis, and a novel target for enhancing immunotherapy sensitivity in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).
The venetoclax-tarlatamab combination study arrives at a time of growing interest in rational combination strategies for SCLC, where single-agent immunotherapies have shown only modest activity. By generating preliminary data through the Quest Fund, Faber's team aims to position the project for larger extramural grant support and eventual clinical translation.