Dive Brief:
- Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is difficult to treat; but tackling epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) NSCLC is another story altogether.
- Clovis's rociletinib has shown promise as a single-agent therapy for treating EGFR NSCLC.
- Clovis and GSK are now teaming up to study rociletinib with GSK's trametinib.
Dive Insight:
The current trend in oncology—targeted, personalized, gene-driven, combo therapy—is quickly becoming the standard of care.
The alliance between GSK and Clovis to target EGFR NSCLC is based on these precepts. The researchers are a variety of factors into consideration, including efficacy, safety, tolerability, and resistance to certain drugs, as they take on this deadly cancer.
There are 1.7 million new cases of lung cancer each year, and 85% of them are NSCLC. The 5-year survival rate is less than 5%. EGFR mutations occur in up to 15% of Caucasians with NSCLC and up to 35% of Asians with NSCLC. There is a clear and acute medical need—and Clovis and GSK are now working together to address it.