Two years ago, China approved ensartinib as a second-line therapy for those with ALK+ non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). There have been advances over time. Now, according to a late March 2022 press release from biopharmaceutical company Xcovery Holdings, Inc. (“Xcovery”), the company shared that its treatment was now approved as a first-line therapy as well!
On the Xcovery website, the company explains that ensartinib is a therapeutic which inhibits ALK. The company writes that:
Ensartinib has shown promising clinical activity in patients with ALK-positive NSCLC in a Phase 1/2 trial.
The therapy has also been evaluated in both a Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical trial. To learn more about its safety, efficacy, and tolerability, you may take a look at the data from the Phase 3 trial here.
About ALK+ Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (ALK+ NSCLC)
Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) occurs in an estimated 3-5% of patients with NSCLC. Normally, the ALK gene plays a role in gut and nervous cell development during embryonic development. The gene usually shuts off before you leave the womb. ALK+ NSCLC occurs when a mutated or reactivated ALK gene fuses with another gene. Often, this is the EML4 gene. This fused gene then signals cells to multiply rapidly, causing the spread of this cancer. Risk factors include being female, being of East Asian descent, environmental carcinogen exposure, being under 55 years old, and smoking very little or not at all. In many cases, patients are asymptomatic until later stages of the cancer. When ALK+ NSCLC symptoms manifest, these can include:
- Hoarseness
- Chronic cough
- Wheezing
- Fatigue
- Appetite loss
- Unintended weight loss
- Coughing up blood
- Shortness of breath and/or difficulty breathing
- Chest pain that worsens when you cough or laugh
While the prognosis for this form of lung cancer used to be somewhat grim, outlooks have improved. With proper treatment, those with this cancer are able to live longer.
