NEW YORK - Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: NYSE:PFE) has released new data from its Phase 3 CROWN trial, which shows a significant extension in progression-free survival for patients with ALK-positive advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with LORBRENA® (lorlatinib) compared to those treated with XALKORI® (crizotinib).
The findings, presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting and published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, indicate an 81% reduction in the risk of disease progression or death and a 94% reduction in the progression of brain metastases with LORBRENA.
The trial involved 296 individuals with previously untreated ALK-positive advanced NSCLC, who were randomized to receive either LORBRENA monotherapy or XALKORI monotherapy. After a median follow-up of five years, 60% of patients treated with LORBRENA were alive without disease progression, as opposed to only 8% on XALKORI.
Dr. Roger Dansey, Chief Development Officer at Pfizer Oncology, emphasized the significance of these results, stating that they support LORBRENA as a standard of care for the first-line treatment of ALK-positive advanced NSCLC.
The drug was specifically designed to inhibit tumor mutations that drive resistance to other ALK inhibitors and to penetrate the blood-brain barrier, which is critical given that a notable proportion of NSCLC patients develop brain metastases within two years of initial diagnosis.
The safety profile of LORBRENA in the five-year follow-up was consistent with previous findings, with the most frequent adverse events being edema, weight gain, and peripheral neuropathy, among others. Grade 3/4 adverse events occurred in 77% of patients treated with LORBRENA.
Pfizer continues to make efforts to help non-scientists understand the latest findings by developing abstract plain language summaries for company-sponsored research presented at ASCO.
Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related death globally, with an estimated 234,580 new cases expected in the U.S. in 2024. ALK-positive advanced NSCLC is particularly aggressive and affects a small percentage of lung cancer patients, but these new findings from the CROWN trial represent significant progress in targeted treatment for this patient population.
The information in this article is based on a press release statement from Pfizer Inc.
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