Dr. Dasari on the Potential Clinical Implications of Fruquintinib in mCRC

Nageshwara Arvind Dasari, MD, associate professor, Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the potential clinical implications with fruquintinib (Elunate) in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).

Results of the ongoing phase 3 FRESCO-2 trial (NCT04322539), which was presented virtually during the 2021 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium, is evaluating the efficacy and safety of fruquintinib, an investigational oral VEGF TKI, versus placebo in patients with mCRC.

Currently, patients with relapsed/refractory mCRC have limited treatment options following progression, says Dasari. Although it is early, fruquintinib could provide patients who progress on later-line therapies, such as TAS-102 (trifluridine/tipiracil; Lonsurf) or regorafenib (Stivarga) with an additional option. Although the trial is still enrolling, Dasari is hopeful that the data will demonstrate an improvement in overall survival with fruquintinib compared with placebo. Additionally, the phase 3 data could echo previously reported safety findings with fruquintinib, which suggest the agent is well tolerated among this patient population. If so, combination regimens with fruquintinib could be on the horizon, concludes Dasari.