Nintedanib could offer hope in rare cancer linked to asbestos exposure

Privately-held German pharma Boehringer Ingelheim has presented encouraging Phase II survival data for nintedanib in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) at ASCO 2017.

Nintedanib is approved in the European Union and more than 20 other countries worldwide under the brand name Vargatef for use in combination with docetaxel in adult patients with locally-advanced, metastatic or locally-recurrent non-small cell lung cancer of adenocarcinoma tumor histology after first-line chemotherapy.

But in the LUME-Meso, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, it has demonstrated improved progression-free survival (PFS, primary endpoint) and overall survival (OS, secondary endpoint) when added to standard first-line chemotherapy of pemetrexed/cisplatin in patients with MPM compared to chemotherapy alone. In the study, treatment with nintedanib or placebo continued after chemotherapy until progression or toxicity.