MET alterations in advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Precision medicine has helped identify several tumor molecular aberrations to be treated with targeted therapies. These therapies showed substantial improvement in efficacy without excessive toxicity in patients with specific oncogenic drivers with advanced cancers. In metastatic lung cancers, the implementation of broad platforms for molecular tumor sequencing has helped oncology providers identify oncogenic drivers linked with better outcomes when treated upfront with targeted therapies.

A Phase 1/2 Study to Evaluate the Safety and Activity of Nivolumab in Combination With Vorolanib, a Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor, in Patients With Refractory Thoracic Tumors.

Introduction: Targeting the tumor microenvironment may enhance response to immunotherapy (immune checkpoint inhibitors) and improve outcomes for patients. This study tested the safety and efficacy of vorolanib, a novel tyrosine kinase inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor, platelet-derived growth factor, and c-KIT, in combination with programmed cell death protein 1 blockade using nivolumab for refractory thoracic malignancies.

Methods: This single-arm multicenter study enrolled patients with extensive-stage SCLC, thymic carcinoma, and NSCLC, either naive or had progressed on previous chemotherapy or immune checkpoint inhibitors (either primary or acquired resistance).

A Phase 2 Study of Docetaxel, Ramucirumab, and Pembrolizumab for Patients With Metastatic or Recurrent Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) who Progressed on Platinum-Doublet and PD-1/PD-L1 Blockade.

Background: There is an urgent and unmet need for more effective treatment options for patients with metastatic and recurrent non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who progressed on platinum-based therapy, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), and targeted therapies. Currently, the combination of docetaxel (D) and ramucirumab (R) is the next best salvage therapy with a modest historical progression free survival (PFS) of 4.5 months and 6-month PFS rate of 37% predating the era of ICI use.