Background: Alectinib, a highly selective next generation ALK-inhibitor, has exhibited potent anti-tumour activity in RET-rearranged NSCLC in the preclinical stage. Methods: ALERT-lung is a single... Show moreBackground: Alectinib, a highly selective next generation ALK-inhibitor, has exhibited potent anti-tumour activity in RET-rearranged NSCLC in the preclinical stage. Methods: ALERT-lung is a single-arm, phase II trial evaluating the activity of alectinib for the treatment of pretreated RET-rearranged advanced NSCLC. Alectinib was administered orally, 600 mg, twice per day until progression, refusal or unacceptable toxicity (treatment could continue beyond progression, if patient was deriving clinical benefit). Patient recruitment closed prematurely due to discouraging results for alectinib in a phase I/II study in the same indication. Results: All 14 patients who enrolled until the premature accrual closure, received at lease one dose of alectinib. Among them, median age was 61 years, majority (71 %) was female, never smokers, of ECOG PS 1. No objective response (complete or partial response) was recorded. Of the 13 evaluable patients, three (23 %) achieved and maintained disease stabilisation for 24 weeks. Up to 31 March 2021 (median follow-up 15.9 months), 12 PFS-events (92 %) were observed, with median PFS of 3.7 months (95 % C.I.: 1.8 - 7.3 months). Overall, three deaths (23 %) were reported. Seven patients (50 %) experienced grade = 3 adverse events, while three discontinued treatment due to erythema multiforme of grade 3, related to alectinib. No treatment-related serious adverse event was reported. Conclusions: Accrual into our trial was terminated early in response to other reports of limited activity of alectinib in patients with RET-fusion NSCLC and the emergence of more potent selective RET-inhibitors. Also in our trial, alectinib did not show the expected potential for anti-tumour activity in NSCLC. Show less
BACKGROUNDAmong patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC),METexon 14 skipping mutations occur in 3 to 4% andMETamplifications occur in 1 to 6%. Capmatinib, a selective inhibitor of the MET... Show moreBACKGROUNDAmong patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC),METexon 14 skipping mutations occur in 3 to 4% andMETamplifications occur in 1 to 6%. Capmatinib, a selective inhibitor of the MET receptor, has shown activity in cancer models with various types of MET activation.METHODSWe conducted a multiple-cohort, phase 2 study evaluating capmatinib in patients withMET-dysregulated advanced NSCLC. Patients were assigned to cohorts on the basis of previous lines of therapy andMETstatus (METexon 14 skipping mutation orMETamplification according to gene copy number in tumor tissue). Patients received capmatinib (400-mg tablet) twice daily. The primary end point was overall response (complete or partial response), and the key secondary end point was response duration; both end points were assessed by an independent review committee whose members were unaware of the cohort assignments.RESULTSA total of 364 patients were assigned to the cohorts. Among patients with NSCLC with aMETexon 14 skipping mutation, overall response was observed in 41% (95% confidence interval [CI], 29 to 53) of 69 patients who had received one or two lines of therapy previously and in 68% (95% CI, 48 to 84) of 28 patients who had not received treatment previously; the median duration of response was 9.7 months (95% CI, 5.6 to 13.0) and 12.6 months (95% CI, 5.6 to could not be estimated), respectively. Limited efficacy was observed in previously treated patients withMETamplification who had a gene copy number of less than 10 (overall response in 7 to 12% of patients). Among patients withMETamplification and a gene copy number of 10 or higher, overall response was observed in 29% (95% CI, 19 to 41) of previously treated patients and in 40% (95% CI, 16 to 68) of those who had not received treatment previously. The most frequently reported adverse events were peripheral edema (in 51%) and nausea (in 45%); these events were mostly of grade 1 or 2.CONCLUSIONSCapmatinib showed substantial antitumor activity in patients with advanced NSCLC with aMETexon 14 skipping mutation, particularly in those not treated previously. The efficacy inMET-amplified advanced NSCLC was higher in tumors with a high gene copy number than in those with a low gene copy number. Low-grade peripheral edema and nausea were the main toxic effects. Show less
