Alectinib approved for the treatment of ALK-positive NSCLC

A new treatment that targets a specific type of lung cancer has received FDA approval. Alectinib has been approved in the US for the treatment of patients with ALK (anaplastic lymphoma kinase)-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose disease had worsened after – or who could not tolerate –  treatment with crizotinib¹.

Alectinib for ALK-positive NSCLC

An ALK (anaplastic lymphoma kinase) is a gene mutation that can occur in various cancer cells, including lung cancer cells. ALK gene mutations are present in about 5 % of patients with NSCLC.

Alectinib is an oral medication that blocks the activity of the ALK protein, which may prevent NSCLC cells from growing and spreading¹. Its approval provides a new therapy for patients who would have had few treatment options if their disease stopped responding to treatment with crizotinib. Furthermore, clinical trials provide evidence of an effect on tumours that had spread to the brain¹, which is common in ALK-positive NSCLC metastatic patients².

If you live outside the US you can order alectinib at thesocialmedwork.com when a doctor’s prescription is provided.

More information about the safety and efficacy of alectinib can be found at the following links:

© everyone.org