Dr. Govindan on the Potential for Alectinib

October 31, 2014

Ramaswamy Govindan, MD, Director, Thoracic Oncology, Co-Director, Section of Medical Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, Siteman Cancer Center, discusses the potential for the ALK inhibitor alectinib.

Crizotinib and ceritinib are approved in the US and have demonstated 50-60% response rates in patients with ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In a small study in Japan, alectinib elicited a 93% response rate, median survival of 27 months, and activity against brain metastases. Studies in the US are being conducted now comparing crizotinib and alectinib.

There remains a need to understand resistance, and mechanisms of resistance, of these 3 agents. The question also remains as to whether ALK-positive patients should be stratified.

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