Two clinical trials show promise with different targeted drugs for lung cancer

Two drugs targeting different gene faults in lung cancer have shown potential to be better than those already available, according to unpublished clinical trials. The drug alectinib (Alecensa), which targets a faulty version of the ALK gene, halted the growth of non-small cell lung cancers for 15 months longer than the standard treatment, a drug called crizotinib (Xalkori). In a separate trial, the drug dacomitinib delayed the growth of tumours carrying a faulty EGFR gene for longer than the drug gefitinib (Iressa), one of the standard targeted medicines for lung cancers with faulty EGFR. Both trials, presented at the 2017 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting (link is external) in Chicago, show how new drugs can be developed against already identified targets, potentially with added benefits. And some of the results could change clinical practice.

See original article at: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-us/cancer-news/news-report/2017-06-06-two-clinical-trials-show-promise-with-different-targeted-drugs-for-lung-cancer