Lorlatinib in pretreated ALK- or ROS1-positive lung cancer and impact of TP53 co-mutations: results from the German

Nikolaj Frost1, Petros Christopoulos2, Diego Kauffmann-Guerrero3

  • 1Department of Infectious Diseases and Respiratory Medicine, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, Berlin, D-13353, Germany Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Infectious Diseases and Pulmonary Medicine, Berlin, Germany.

Abstract

Insights

Lorlatinib, a third-generation ALK/ROS1 inhibitor, shows efficacy in heavily pretreated patients with advanced lung cancer, including those with resistance mutations and brain metastases.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Pharmacology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Lorlatinib is a third-generation anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) and ROS1 inhibitor.
  • The German early access program (EAP) evaluated lorlatinib's real-world effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the efficacy of lorlatinib in patients with advanced ALK- or ROS1-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
  • To evaluate lorlatinib's performance in heavily pretreated patients, including those with resistance mutations or brain metastases.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 52 patients enrolled in the German EAP.
  • Patients had documented treatment failure or resistance mutations to approved ALK/ROS1 therapies.
  • Analysis included progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and response rates.

Main Results:

  • Median PFS was 8.0 months; median time to treatment failure was 13.0 months.
  • The overall response rate was 54%.
  • TP53 mutations were associated with significantly reduced PFS and OS, acting as a negative prognostic biomarker.

Conclusions:

  • Lorlatinib demonstrates clinical efficacy in a real-world setting for heavily pretreated patients with advanced ALK/ROS1-positive NSCLC.
  • It offers a valuable therapeutic option for patients with resistance mutations and/or brain or leptomeningeal disease.

Related Concept Videos

Targeted Cancer Therapies02:57

Targeted Cancer Therapies

The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against...
8.1K
lncRNA - Long Non-coding RNAs02:39

lncRNA - Long Non-coding RNAs

In humans, more than 80% of the genome gets transcribed. However, only around 2% of the genome codes for proteins. The remaining part produces non-coding RNAs which includes ribosomal RNAs, transfer RNAs, telomerase RNAs, and regulatory RNAs, among other types. A large number of regulatory non-coding RNAs have been classified into two groups depending upon their length – small non-coding RNAs, such as microRNA, which are less than 200 nucleotides in length, and long non-coding RNA...
9.4K
Treatment Resistant Cancers02:56

Treatment Resistant Cancers

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. A cancer cell is genetically unstable and hence can mutate faster. They can also modify their microenvironment and escape immune surveillance. The difficulties in treating cancer are further compounded by the emergence of rapid resistance to anticancer drugs. The most common ways to attain resistance in cancer cells include alteration in drug transport and metabolism, modification of drug target, elevated DNA damage response, or...
3.5K