Clinical Pharmacology: Advances and Applications (Jan 2022)
Current Insights on the Treatment of Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase-Positive Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Focus on Brigatinib
Abstract
Erika Rijavec,1 Federica Biello,2 Alice Indini,3 Francesco Grossi,3 Carlo Genova4,5 1Medical Oncology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milano, Italy; 2Division of Oncology, Department of Translational Medicine, University of Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy; 3Division of Medical Oncology, University of Insubria, ASST dei Sette Laghi, Varese, Italy; 4UO Clinica di Oncologia Medica, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genova, Italy; 5Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (DIMI), Università degli Studi di Genova, Genova, ItalyCorrespondence: Erika Rijavec, Email [email protected]: Rearrangement of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene is detected in approximately 5% of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors targeting ALK have significantly improved the prognosis of these patients. However, most patients experienced disease progression within a few years due to acquired resistance. Brigatinib is a second-generation ALK inhibitor effective in presence of several ALK mutations with demonstrated activity against central nervous system metastases. Currently, brigatinib is approved to treat ALK-positive metastatic NSCLC patients not previously treated with ALK inhibitors and patients who have progressed on or are intolerant to crizotinib. In this review, we provide a summary of results from clinical trials involving brigatinib, and we discuss its possible role in the management of ALK-positive NSCLC in the following years.Keywords: brigatinib, non-small cell lung cancer, anaplastic lymphoma kinase
