Dr. Yang on Resistance Mechanisms from Osimertinib in NSCLC

James CH Yang, MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine, Deputy Director, Department of Medical Oncology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Director, Cancer Research, Center National Taiwan University College of Medicine, discusses resistance mechanisms that develop from treatment with osimertinib (Tagrisso) and other EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Yang discussed this in an interview during the 2018 European Lung Cancer Congress, which is a joint collaboration between ESMO and the IASLC.

Data have shown that resistant mechanisms for osimertinib-failiure patients are different than those who fail on erlotinib (Tarceva), gefitinib (Iressa), or afatinib (Gilotrif). For example, T790M is not detected in the osimertinib-failure patients, Yang explains. Additionally, he hopes that biomarker changes will be able to be identified in these patients and they can then be compared with those who fail on first-generation TKI therapy.

Knowing these resistance mechanisms will improve physicians' abilities to enhance the capabilities of osimertinib to learn from patient outcomes in the future, Yang concludes.