Gerald S. Falchook, MD, director, Drug Development, Sarah Cannon Research Institute, discusses TRK alterations in lung cancer.

In the United States, TRK is seen in approximately 5,000 patients annually across all cancer types. It is pathognomonic in some rare cancers and uncommonly seen in lung cancer. Approximately 3% of patients with lung cancer have this mutation, explains Falchook, but it remains a strong oncogenic driver. Recent clinical trials have examined the use of TRK inhibitors.

At the 2017 ASCO Annual Meeting, data on larotrectinib were presented in an oral session. Earlier this year, these data were published in the 

. Upwards of 70% of patients with TRK alterations across all cancer types show responses, many of which are durable, explains Falchook.

There are 3 types of TRK alterations that physicians look for using next-generation sequencing including 

. Any patient with an alteration in one of these genes should be considered for a TRK inhibitor on a clinical trial, states Falchook.

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Dr. Falchook on TRK Alterations in Lung Cancer

Gerald S. Falchook, MD, director, Drug Development, Sarah Cannon Research Institute, discusses a phase Ib study examining the safety, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and antitumor activity of the anti-ERBB3 agent KTN3379 in adults with advanced tumors. The agent was studied alone and with targeted therapies.

The targeted agents that KTN3379 was combined with in this study included trastuzumab (Herceptin), cetuximab (Erbitux), erlotinib (Tarceva), and vemurafenib (Zelboraf). Each of the agents in these combinations were administered at full doses, Falchook explains.

KTN3379 is a monoclonal antibody designed to target receptors of EGFR, HER2, ERBB3, and ERBB4. It binds to a unique epitope with high affinity, which is associated with a longer half-life and slower clearance compared with other agents in its class. These characteristics can help engage the target for a longer amount of time, Falchook says.

Gerald S. Falchook, MD, director, Drug Development, Sarah Cannon Research Institute, discusses a phase Ib study examining the safety, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and antitumor activity of the anti-ErbB3 agent KTN3379 in adults with advanced tumors. The agent was studied alone and with targeted therapies.

Gerald S. Falchook, MD

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Dr. Falchook on TRK Alterations in Lung Cancer

Dr. Falchook on KTN3379 in Advanced Tumors