CAN'T ESCAPE THIS ONE

News Alerts > Medscape Medical News

Afatinib Approved by the FDA for EGFRm+ Lung Cancer

Zosia Chustecka

DisclosuresJul 12, 2013

"A new targeted therapy, afatinib (Gilotrif, Boehringer Ingelheim), has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in the treatment of metastatic nonsmall-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that tests positive for epidermal growth-factor receptor mutations (EGFRm+). A companion diagnostic test, the Therascreen EGFR PCR Kit (from Qiagen), has been approved at the same time.
About 10% to 15% of NSCLC is EGFRm+ in Western populations, although the incidence of the mutation is higher in Asian populations."

THIS IS SIGNIFICANT AS IT ADDS TO THE ARMAMENTORIUN IN AN OTHERWISE DIFFICULT DISEASE TO TREAT, WE CLEARLY NEED MORE OF THESE NEWS.  IT ALSO PROVIDE FURTHER REASON TO TEST FOR THESE MUTATIONS PRIOR TO CHOOSING WHICH FINAL OPTION IS APPROPRIATE AND MORE PALATABLE FOR OUR PATIENTS.   IT ALSO PROVIDES FOR A BETTER CHANCE FOR INSURANCE TO COVER THIS PRESCRIPTION...THIS IS A GOOD DAY IN ONCOLOGY!