Background JM216 is a new oral platinum complex with dose-limiting toxicity myelosuppresssion, now undergoing phase II evaluation. Patients and methods JM216 was evaluated as first line therapy in non-small-cell lung cancer. Seventeen patients received 120 mg/m2/day for five days repeated every three weeks. Results Toxicity was manageable, the commonest side-effects being nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation and asthenia. Myelososuppression was generally grade <2 and there were no cases of neutropenic sepsis or bleeding. Thirteen patients were fully evaluable for response. No sustained objective responses were reported. One patient was reported as stable disease had a partial response after three courses but was progressing again after four. An additional five patients had stable disease (46.2%). Conclusions Although some patients may have had useful palliation, JM216 did not appear to have significant antitumour activity in non-small-cell lung cance