Dr. Shaw Describes LDK378 in ALK-Positive Lung Cancer

Alice T. Shaw, MD, PhD, an attending physician in the Center for Thoracic Cancers at Massachusetts General Hospital, discusses the clinical activity of the ALK inhibitor LDK378 in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring an ALK alteration.

In crizotinib resistant patients, the response rate was approximately 60%, Shaw suggests. Additionally, 20%-30% of patients responded but did not meet the criteria for response. The duration of response to LDK378 was impressive, Shaw says. The median progression-free survival for those who were resistant to crizotinib was slightly over 8 months, which is similar to the benefit experienced with crizotinib.

Shaw believes the potential to salvage patients who progress on crizotinib with LDK378 is encouraging. Based on these data, LDK378 was granted breakthrough therapy designation by the FDA, which is a good indication for the efficacy of the agent, Shaw believes.