A new therapy for the treatment of a particular type of lung cancer has been available in Italy for a few weeks. This is Pfizer’s “Lorlatinib” drug, for which the Italian Medicines Agency has authorized reimbursement. The new oral treatment would be able to reduce the risk of disease progression by 73%, but it is not intended for all types of lung cancer, but rather for a specific neoplasm.
Who is the new drug aimed at?
The drug is specifically designed to treat advanced stage Alk-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which affects a small number of cancer patients, usually young (under 50 years) and non-smokers. The new therapy represents a big step forward in the treatment of this particular carcinoma, which responds much less to standard chemotherapy.
“These patients – he explains toHandle Silvia Novello, Professor of Oncology at the Department of Oncology of the University of Turin – are younger than average, mostly non-smokers and in good general condition, but with a high incidence of brain metastases. The central nervous system is a frequent site of disease progression for them; therefore, the prevention of brain metastases during the first line of treatment has a fundamental role.” “This drug – he continues – is specifically designed to overcome the blood-brain barrier and act at the brain level, as well as to be active in already treated patients who have developed resistance”.
The effectiveness of the drug Lorlatinib is supported by the results of the study Crownpublished in late 2022 on The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. These data, he reports AboutPharma“have made it possible to highlight the superiority of Lorlatinib (compared to the standard treatments used so far, i.e. second generation ALK inhibitors) both in terms of progression-free survival and objective responses and intracranial control”.
“The greater effectiveness of Lorlatinib – underlines on AboutPharma Filippo de Marinis, director of the Thoracic Oncology Division at the European Institute of Oncology in Milan, president of Aiot (Italian Association of Thoracic Oncology) and member of the Crown Steering Committee – was highlighted in all parameters evaluated, with a reduction in the risk of progression of disease equal to 73%, while 82% of patients with brain metastases experienced an intracranial response, which was complete in 71% of cases. Targeted therapy therefore continues to bring significant results, also demonstrating long-term benefits never seen before in these patients.”