Pfizer's Lung Cancer Drug Is Extending Survival Rates and Stopping Cancer Spread

Key TakeawaysAn ongoing study showed that 60% of lung cancer patients who took a drug called Lorbrena remained alive and disease-free after five years, compared to 8% of those who were treated with Xalkori.The CROWN study offers the longest progression-free survival results ever recorded in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

Key Takeaways

An ongoing study showed that 60% of lung cancer patients who took a drug called Lorbrena remained alive and disease-free after five years, compared to 8% of those who were treated with Xalkori.The CROWN study offers the longest progression-free survival results ever recorded in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

Responsible for one in eight cancers worldwide, lung cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer.Despite the available treatment options of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and immunotherapy drugs, survival rates among patients with advanced stages of lung cancer have been bleak.

However, Pfizer’s lung cancer drug is showing promising results. New clinical trial results show that Lorbrena (lorlatinib) stops lung cancer from advancing in patients with ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), a type of lung cancer that occurs when the ALK gene mutates and causes abnormal lung cell growth.

What Is ALK-Positive Lung Cancer?

The Best Survival Rates Yet

Among 296 patients with ALK-positive lung cancer participating in Pfizer’s CROWN trial, Lorbrena demonstrated a 94% reduction in the risk of developing intracranial progression—the stage where tumors begin forming in the brain. This resulted in the longest progression-free survival results ever recorded in patients with NSCLC.

“After a five-year follow-up, we’ve not hit a median progression-free survival, which means it’s still 60% of the patients who are on [Lorbrena] continue to be on it,” study coauthorTodd Bauer, MD, medical oncologist with Tennessee Oncology in Nashville, told Verywell.

This is a “good problem to have,” as patients are continuing to benefit from the treatment, Bauer said.

Most Common Side Effects Are Manageable

Bauer said the two most common side effects of Lorbrena are hypercholesterolemia, which is high levels of cholesterol in the blood, and hypertriglyceridemia, which is elevated levels of triglycerides in the blood. Both can be managed using statins and fibrates.

Other common side effects of Lorbrena include but are not limited to:

“To manage, we have to try lifestyle modifications, so compression stockings and raising your legs,” Bauer said.

“The standard dose of Lorbrena is a 100 milligram tablet once a day. And if patients start to have those [side effects], you can introduce them to 75 milligrams once a day, or all the way down to 50 milligrams once a day,” Bauer said.

According to the CROWN trial data, dosage changes don’t compromise efficacy. Patients who had a dose reduction within the first 16 weeks of starting saw no difference in median progression-free survival or intracranial response rates.

“Even at that slightly lower dose, you still maintain the full efficacy of the drug,” Bauer said.

Primary Lung Cancer vs. Secondary Lung Cancer

Lorbrena’s Protects Against Brain Cancer, Too

Brain metastases, which occur in about 25% of lung cancer patients at diagnosis, generally lead to a poor prognosis.However, the CROWN study showed that Lorbrena was effective at preventing brain metastases. After five years, 92% of patients on Lorbrena hadn’t developed brain cancer, compared to 21% of patients on Xalkori.

For patients with existing brain metastases, 81% of those on Lorbrena hadn’t developed more brain cancer while taking Lorbrena, whereas all patients on Xalkori either saw their cancer progress or dropped out of the study within two years.

Lorbrena was also effective in patients without brain metastases. Only 4 of 114 patients developed brain lesions in the first 16 months of treatment.

Who’s a Good Candidate for Lorbrena?

Lorbrena is currently approved in the U.S. for adults with NSCLC whose tumors are ALK-positive, as detected using anFDA-approved test of a tissue sample. Bauer said that there are other predictors of response, such as looking at whether there’s a commutation in the TP53 gene.

ALK positive NSCLC is an aggressive cancer, but it’s important to note that not all NSCLCs are ALK-positive. In fact, only 5% of NSCLC cases are ALK-positive.

Since Lorbrena is an ALK inhibitor, it may not be an effective form of treatment for NSCLC patients who do not have the ALK mutation or other forms of lung cancers. Lung cancer patients should talk to their oncologist about ALK testing.

What This Means For YouLorbrena is currently approved in the U.S. for adults with NSCLC whose tumors are ALK-positive. ALK-positivity can be determined using an FDA-approved test. For more information, consult with your oncologist.

What This Means For You

Lorbrena is currently approved in the U.S. for adults with NSCLC whose tumors are ALK-positive. ALK-positivity can be determined using an FDA-approved test. For more information, consult with your oncologist.

6 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Bray F, Laversanne M, Sung H, et al.Global cancer statistics 2022: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries.CA Cancer J Clin. 2024;74(3):229-263. doi:10.3322/caac.21834Solomon BJ, Liu G, Felip E, et al.Lorlatinib versus crizotinib in patients with advancedALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer: 5-year outcomes from the phase III CROWN study.J Clin Oncol. Published online May 31, 2024. doi:10.1200/JCO.24.00581Sullivan I, Planchard D.ALK inhibitors in non-small cell lung cancer: the latest evidence and developments.Ther Adv Med Oncol. 2016;8(1):32-47. doi:10.1177/1758834015617355National Library of Medicine: DailyMed.Lorbrena—lorlatinib tablet, film coated[drug label].American Lung Assocation.Brain metastasis from lung cancer.Arbour KC, Riely GJ.Diagnosis and treatment of anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive non-small cell lung cancer.Hematol Oncol Clin North Am. 2017 Feb;31(1):101-111. doi:10.1016/j.hoc.2016.08.012

6 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Bray F, Laversanne M, Sung H, et al.Global cancer statistics 2022: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries.CA Cancer J Clin. 2024;74(3):229-263. doi:10.3322/caac.21834Solomon BJ, Liu G, Felip E, et al.Lorlatinib versus crizotinib in patients with advancedALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer: 5-year outcomes from the phase III CROWN study.J Clin Oncol. Published online May 31, 2024. doi:10.1200/JCO.24.00581Sullivan I, Planchard D.ALK inhibitors in non-small cell lung cancer: the latest evidence and developments.Ther Adv Med Oncol. 2016;8(1):32-47. doi:10.1177/1758834015617355National Library of Medicine: DailyMed.Lorbrena—lorlatinib tablet, film coated[drug label].American Lung Assocation.Brain metastasis from lung cancer.Arbour KC, Riely GJ.Diagnosis and treatment of anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive non-small cell lung cancer.Hematol Oncol Clin North Am. 2017 Feb;31(1):101-111. doi:10.1016/j.hoc.2016.08.012

Bray F, Laversanne M, Sung H, et al.Global cancer statistics 2022: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries.CA Cancer J Clin. 2024;74(3):229-263. doi:10.3322/caac.21834Solomon BJ, Liu G, Felip E, et al.Lorlatinib versus crizotinib in patients with advancedALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer: 5-year outcomes from the phase III CROWN study.J Clin Oncol. Published online May 31, 2024. doi:10.1200/JCO.24.00581Sullivan I, Planchard D.ALK inhibitors in non-small cell lung cancer: the latest evidence and developments.Ther Adv Med Oncol. 2016;8(1):32-47. doi:10.1177/1758834015617355National Library of Medicine: DailyMed.Lorbrena—lorlatinib tablet, film coated[drug label].American Lung Assocation.Brain metastasis from lung cancer.Arbour KC, Riely GJ.Diagnosis and treatment of anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive non-small cell lung cancer.Hematol Oncol Clin North Am. 2017 Feb;31(1):101-111. doi:10.1016/j.hoc.2016.08.012

Solomon BJ, Liu G, Felip E, et al.Lorlatinib versus crizotinib in patients with advancedALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer: 5-year outcomes from the phase III CROWN study.J Clin Oncol. Published online May 31, 2024. doi:10.1200/JCO.24.00581

Sullivan I, Planchard D.ALK inhibitors in non-small cell lung cancer: the latest evidence and developments.Ther Adv Med Oncol. 2016;8(1):32-47. doi:10.1177/1758834015617355

National Library of Medicine: DailyMed.Lorbrena—lorlatinib tablet, film coated[drug label].

American Lung Assocation.Brain metastasis from lung cancer.

Arbour KC, Riely GJ.Diagnosis and treatment of anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive non-small cell lung cancer.Hematol Oncol Clin North Am. 2017 Feb;31(1):101-111. doi:10.1016/j.hoc.2016.08.012

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Key Takeaways#

The Best Survival Rates Yet#

Most Common Side Effects Are Manageable#

Lorbrena’s Protects Against Brain Cancer, Too#

Who’s a Good Candidate for Lorbrena?#

What This Means For You#