New compound 'may prove to be successful for lung cancer patients'

Washington, June 3 (ANI): In a new study, researchers including one of Indian-origin, have revealed that a new compound that targets anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive (ALK+) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is well tolerated by patients and is already showing early signs of activity.

Additionally, the compound has also shown results on patients who no longer respond to crizotinib, which is the only approved ALK inhibitor.

LDK378, developed by Novartis, targets ALK - a key cancer gene in a subset of lung cancer, lymphoma and the childhood cancer neuroblastoma, and may be associated with other cancers, including breast and colorectal cancer.

The study's authors looked at patients with ALK+ lung cancer, as well as other ALK+ solid tumours. Early data from the phase I study shows that the majority of patients treated with active doses of LDK378 responded, including those who had progressed after treatment with crizotinib.

"These results are encouraging," Ranee Mehra, medical oncologist at Fox Chase, said.

"They offer hope to patients who have tumours with alterations involving ALK, even if they have relapsed from previous treatments," she said.

In its first test in people, designed to determine the compound's safety and optimal dose, 56 people with various types of ALK+ solid tumours (primarily lung cancer) were enrolled, receiving doses between 50 to 750 milligrams per day (mg/day).

LDK378 was well tolerated in most patients up to 750 mg per d, with the most common side effects being nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

"Whenever you do a trial with a drug, even if it's just designed to look for safety and dosage, you are interested in whether patients responded.

"These results are definitely encouraging, and mean we can go forward with additional research looking at whether LDK378 is effective in various types of cancers that have alterations involving ALK," Mehra said.

The fact that patients appeared to tolerate LDK378 at doses up to 750 mg/d is also encouraging, she adds, since preclinical research has suggested this dose would have therapeutic effects.

The results of the study will be presented during the 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology on June 3. (ANI)

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