Alisertib is an oral tablet taken by mouth. It is an experimental medicine that blocks a protein that helps cancer cells grow and divide. In this study patients take the tablets for the first seven days of each 21‑day treatment cycle. The researchers are looking at how safe it is and how well patients can tolerate it when it is used together with another chemotherapy drug.

Paclitaxel is a chemotherapy drug that is given through an IV infusion. It works by stopping cancer cells from multiplying, which can shrink or control the tumor. In the trial it is given on the first and eighth day of each 21‑day cycle. The drug is being studied to see how it works when combined with alisertib.

Small Cell Lung Cancer – Small Cell Lung Cancer is a form of lung cancer that starts in the neuroendocrine cells of the airway. It grows quickly and often spreads early to nearby lymph nodes and distant organs. The tumor usually arises in the central part of the lungs and can extend into the chest cavity. As the disease advances, cancer cells may appear in the bloodstream, bones, liver, brain, and other sites. This spread leads to new tumor sites and an increase in disease burden.