Death receptor targeting agents inducing extrinsic apoptosis are currently in clinical development37 and downregulation of two key anti-apoptotic proteins MCL1 and c-FLIP by CDK9 inhibition was recently identified to have enhanced effects in NSCLC, when combined with death-receptor ligand TRAIL.38 This result led us to evaluate the combination of JQ1 treatment with TRAIL. Here, CDK9 is linked to non-small cell lung carcinoma.