WASHINGTON — A Pfizer drug, Lorlatinib, has shown significant efficacy in reducing tumor progression and improving survival rates for patients in the advanced stages of a rare form of lung cancer, according to clinical trial results released on Friday.
Breakthrough in Lung Cancer Treatment
Lorlatinib, already available in the United States under the brand name Lorbrena, was tested in a trial involving hundreds of patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This type of cancer, which is particularly aggressive and often affects younger, non-smoking individuals, accounts for about 5% of all NSCLC cases.
Clinical Trial Results
In the study, patients were divided into two groups: one receiving Lorlatinib and the other receiving crizotinib, an earlier-generation drug. The five-year follow-up results were striking:
- Over half of the patients treated with Lorlatinib showed no cancer progression.
- 60% of Lorlatinib patients were alive without disease progression after five years, compared to only 8% of those on crizotinib.
- The risk of progression or death was reduced by 81% in patients taking Lorlatinib.
- Additionally, there was a 94% reduction in the progression of brain metastases among Lorlatinib patients.
Expert Insights
“We’re talking about patients with advanced metastatic disease — so this is actually a truly unprecedented finding,” said Despina Thomaidou, Pfizer’s thoracic oncology strategy lead. Oncologist David Spigel of the Sarah Cannon Research Institute in Nashville, who was not involved in the study, praised the results as “outstanding” but noted that Lorlatinib was compared to crizotinib, which is no longer widely used in the United States.
Side Effects and Considerations
While Lorlatinib has shown remarkable efficacy, it does come with side effects, including swelling, weight gain, and mental health issues such as depression. Despite these drawbacks, the drug’s ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier and inhibit tumor mutations that drive resistance makes it a significant advancement in the treatment of ALK-positive NSCLC.
Conclusion
Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, with over 80% of cases being NSCLC. The annual incidence of ALK-positive NSCLC is around 72,000 globally. Lorlatinib’s ability to significantly extend progression-free survival and reduce brain metastases marks a promising development for patients battling this aggressive cancer.
The detailed results of the trial were presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.