The Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) has granted accelerated approval to Lorlatinib ( Lorbrena ) for patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase ( ALK )-positive metastatic non-small cell lung cancer ( NSCLC ) whose disease has progressed on Crizotinib and at least one other ALK inhibitor for metastatic disease or whose disease has progressed on Alectinib or Ceritinib as the first ALK inhibitor therapy for metastatic disease.

Approval was based on a subgroup of 215 patients with ALK-positive metastatic NSCLC, previously treated with one or more ALK kinase inhibitors, enrolled in a non‑randomized, dose-ranging and activity-estimating, multi‑cohort, multicenter study.
The major efficacy measures were overall response rate ( ORR ) and intracranial ORR, according to RECIST 1.1, as assessed by an independent central review committee.

The ORR was 48% ( 95% CI: 42, 55 ), with 4% complete and 44% partial responses.
The estimated median response duration was 12.5 months ( 95% CI: 8.4, 23.7 ).
The intracranial ORR in 89 patients with measurable lesions in the CNS according to RECIST 1.1 was 60% ( 95% CI: 49, 70 ) with 21% complete and 38% partial responses.
The estimated median response duration was 19.5 months ( 95% CI: 12.4, not reached ).

Most common adverse reactions ( incidence greater than or equal to 20% ) in patients receiving Lorlatinib were edema, peripheral neuropathy, cognitive effects, dyspnea, fatigue, weight gain, arthralgia, mood effects, and diarrhea. The most common laboratory abnormalities were hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia.

The recommended Lorlatinib dose is 100 mg orally once daily. ( Xagena_2018 )

Source: FDA, 2018

Xagena_Medicine_2018