FDA approval summary: crizotinib for the treatment of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer with anaplastic lymphoma kinase rearrangements.

On August 26, 2011, crizotinib received accelerated approval for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that is ALK-positive as detected by a test approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Approval was based on two single-arm trials demonstrating objective response rates (ORRs) of 50% and 61% and median response durations of 42 and 48 weeks. On November 20, 2013, crizotinib received regular approval based on confirmation of clinical benefit in study A8081007, a randomized trial in 347 patients with ALK-positive advanced NSCLC who had previously received one platinum-containing regimen. Patients were assigned (1:1) to receive crizotinib 250 mg orally twice daily or standard of care (docetaxel or pemetrexed). The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) determined by independent radiology review; secondary endpoints were ORR and overall survival (OS). PFS was significantly longer in the crizotinib arm, with median PFS of 7.7 and 3.0 months in the crizotinib and chemotherapy arms, respectively, and a 46% absolute increase in ORR but no difference in OS between treatment arms at the interim analysis. The most common adverse drug reactions (>25%) in crizotinib-treated patients were vision disorders, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, edema, elevated transaminases, and fatigue. The most serious toxicities of crizotinib were hepatotoxicity, interstitial lung disease or pneumonitis, and QT-interval prolongation. Crizotinib's rapid clinical development program (6 years from identification of ALK rearrangements in a subset of NSCLC to full FDA approval) is a model of efficient drug development in this new era of molecularly targeted oncology therapy.

Kazandjian D ，Blumenthal GM ，Chen HY ，He K ，Patel M ，Justice R ，Keegan P ，Pazdur R ... -  《-》

U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval: crizotinib for treatment of advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer that is anaplastic lymphoma kinase positive.

On August 26, 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved crizotinib (XALKORI Capsules, Pfizer Inc.) for treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that is anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) positive as detected by an FDA-approved test. The Vysis ALK Break-Apart FISH Probe Kit (Abbott Molecular, Inc.) was approved concurrently. In two multicenter, single-arm trials, patients with locally advanced or metastatic ALK-positive NSCLC previously treated with one or more systemic therapies received crizotinib orally at a dose of 250 mg twice daily. In 119 patients with ALK-positive NSCLC by local trial assay, the objective response rate (ORR) was 61% [95% confidence intervals (CI), 52%-70%] with a median response duration of 48 weeks. In 136 patients with ALK-positive NSCLC by the to-be-marketed test, the ORR was 50% (95% CI, 42%-59%) with a median response duration of 42 weeks. The most common adverse reactions (≥25%) were vision disorder, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, edema, and constipation. Accelerated approval was granted on the basis of the high ORRs and durable responses. On November 20, 2013, crizotinib received full approval based on an improvement in progression-free survival in patients with metastatic ALK-positive NSCLC previously treated with one platinum-based chemotherapy regimen.

Malik SM ，Maher VE ，Bijwaard KE ，Becker RL ，Zhang L ，Tang SW ，Song P ，Liu Q ，Marathe A ，Gehrke B ，Helms W ，Hanner D ，Justice R ，Pazdur R ... -  《-》

Phase 3 study of ceritinib vs chemotherapy in ALK-rearranged NSCLC patients previously treated with chemotherapy and crizotinib (ASCEND-5): Japanese subset.

Kiura K ，Imamura F ，Kagamu H ，Matsumoto S ，Hida T ，Nakagawa K ，Satouchi M ，Okamoto I ，Takenoyama M ，Fujisaka Y ，Kurata T ，Ito M ，Tokushige K ，Hatano B ，Nishio M ... -  《-》

Crizotinib versus chemotherapy in advanced ALK-positive lung cancer.

Shaw AT ，Kim DW ，Nakagawa K ，Seto T ，Crinó L ，Ahn MJ ，De Pas T ，Besse B ，Solomon BJ ，Blackhall F ，Wu YL ，Thomas M ，O'Byrne KJ ，Moro-Sibilot D ，Camidge DR ，Mok T ，Hirsh V ，Riely GJ ，Iyer S ，Tassell V ，Polli A ，Wilner KD ，Jänne PA ... -  《-》

Ceritinib versus chemotherapy in patients with ALK-rearranged non-small-cell lung cancer previously given chemotherapy and crizotinib (ASCEND-5): a randomised, controlled, open-label, phase 3 trial.

Ceritinib is a next-generation anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) inhibitor, which has shown robust anti-tumour efficacy, along with intracranial activity, in patients with ALK-rearranged non-small-cell lung cancer. In phase 1 and 2 studies, ceritinib has been shown to be highly active in both ALK inhibitor-naive and ALK inhibitor-pretreated patients who had progressed after chemotherapy (mostly multiple lines). In this study, we compared the efficacy and safety of ceritinib versus single-agent chemotherapy in patients with advanced ALK-rearranged non-small-cell lung cancer who had previously progressed following crizotinib and platinum-based doublet chemotherapy. In this randomised, controlled, open-label, phase 3 trial, we recruited patients aged at least 18 years with ALK-rearranged stage IIIB or IV non-small-cell lung cancer (with at least one measurable lesion) who had received previous chemotherapy (one or two lines, including a platinum doublet) and crizotinib and had subsequent disease progression, from 99 centres across 20 countries. Other inclusion criteria were a WHO performance status of 0-2, adequate organ function and laboratory test results, a life expectancy of at least 12 weeks, and having recovered from previous anticancer treatment-related toxicities. We randomly allocated patients (1:1; with blocking [block size of four]; stratified by WHO performance status [0 vs 1-2] and presence or absence of brain metastases) to oral ceritinib 750 mg per day fasted (in 21 day treatment cycles) or chemotherapy (intravenous pemetrexed 500 mg/m2 or docetaxel 75 mg/m2 [investigator choice], every 21 days). Patients who discontinued chemotherapy because of progressive disease could cross over to the ceritinib group. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival, assessed by a masked independent review committee using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors 1.1 in the intention-to-treat population, assessed every 6 weeks until month 18 and every 9 weeks thereafter. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01828112, and is ongoing but no longer recruiting patients. Between June 28, 2013, and Nov 2, 2015, we randomly allocated 231 patients; 115 (50%) to ceritinib and 116 (50%) to chemotherapy (40 [34%] to pemetrexed, 73 [63%] to docetaxel, and three [3%] discontinued before receiving treatment). Median follow-up was 16·5 months (IQR 11·5-21·4). Ceritinib showed a significant improvement in median progression-free survival compared with chemotherapy (5·4 months [95% CI 4·1-6·9] for ceritinib vs 1·6 months [1·4-2·8] for chemotherapy; hazard ratio 0·49 [0·36-0·67]; p<0·0001). Serious adverse events were reported in 49 (43%) of 115 patients in the ceritinib group and 36 (32%) of 113 in the chemotherapy group. Treatment-related serious adverse events were similar between groups (13 [11%] in the ceritinib group vs 12 [11%] in the chemotherapy group). The most frequent grade 3-4 adverse events in the ceritinib group were increased alanine aminotransferase concentration (24 [21%] of 115 vs two [2%] of 113 in the chemotherapy group), increased γ glutamyltransferase concentration (24 [21%] vs one [1%]), and increased aspartate aminotransferase concentration (16 [14%] vs one [1%] in the chemotherapy group). Six (5%) of 115 patients in the ceritinib group discontinued because of adverse events compared with eight (7%) of 116 in the chemotherapy group. 15 (13%) of 115 patients in the ceritinib group and five (4%) of 113 in the chemotherapy group died during the treatment period (from the day of the first dose of study treatment to 30 days after the final dose). 13 (87%) of the 15 patients who died in the ceritinib group died because of disease progression and two (13%) died because of an adverse event (one [7%] cerebrovascular accident and one [7%] respiratory failure); neither of these deaths were considered by the investigator to be treatment related. The five (4%) deaths in the chemotherapy group were all due to disease progression. These findings show that patients derive significant clinical benefit from a more potent ALK inhibitor after failure of crizotinib, and establish ceritinib as a more efficacious treatment option compared with chemotherapy in this patient population. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation.

Shaw AT ，Kim TM ，Crinò L ，Gridelli C ，Kiura K ，Liu G ，Novello S ，Bearz A ，Gautschi O ，Mok T ，Nishio M ，Scagliotti G ，Spigel DR ，Deudon S ，Zheng C ，Pantano S ，Urban P ，Massacesi C ，Viraswami-Appanna K ，Felip E ... -  《-》