Imatinib and sunitinib will continue to dominate patient share in GIST treatment

The treatment landscape of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) will not change dramatically through 2023 as no new therapies are expected to launch for this indication.

Treatment of GIST is largely dependent on tumor size, location and growth rate and is commonly treated by surgical resection and/or the targeted therapies, imatinib Gleevec/Glivec from Novartis (NOVN: VX), sunitinib, Pfizer's (NYSE: PFE) Sutent, and regorafenib, Bayer’s (BAYN: DE) Stivarga, according to a new report from Decision Resources Group.

Imatinib is currently and will remain the most commonly prescribed agent through 2023 in this indication. Sunitinib, the second-line standard of care, is approved for patients who are resistant or intolerant to imatinib. Regorafenib is the most recent addition to the GIST armamentarium; it is approved in the USA and Europe for treating patients with progressive disease who have received both imatinib and sunitinib. Decision Resources expects regorafenib to become the third-line standard of care for unresectable and/or metastatic GIST by the end of our forecast period in all major markets.