Patients with aggressive ALK-positive lung cancer may be able to extend their lives by several years with the help of a new drug. Experts call this the best remedy in history against this disease. This was reported by daily mail.
Lorlatinib was developed by Pfizer. It prevents their growth by binding to the ALK protein on the surface of cancer cells. 296 people with ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer participated in the drug’s efficacy study. They were all found to have a mutation in the ALK gene that increases the risk of brain metastases. When cancer is diagnosed, a quarter of patients with this tumor already have metastases in the brain.
About six in ten patients taking Lorlatinib every day were able to live five years without their cancer progressing. In contrast, more than 50% of patients taking the other drug experienced disease progression after just nine months. In summary, Lorlatinib extended the life of people with ALK-positive lung cancer more than any other drug. The study authors noted that it is impossible to say exactly how long the drug might extend life because most study participants continued to live without the disease progressing.
The drug has been available to patients since 2020, but only to those who have exhausted all other treatment options: fewer than 100 people a year receive it. The new research could lead to wider use of the drug.
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