Second-line may not be good enough for Takeda's Alunbrig

Japan’s Takeda Pharmaceutical (TYO: 4502) has published an interim analysis from the Phase III ALTA-1L trial, showing a positive outcome against certain non-small cell lung cancers in the first-line setting. Headline data were announced in July.

The study results, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, show that the ALK blocker Alunbrig (brigatinib) outperformed Pfizer’s (NYSE: PFE) option Xalkori (crizotinib), improving on progression-free survival (PFS) by as much as 50%.

The study compares the therapies in certain adults with ALK+ non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), who had not received a prior ALK inhibitor. Around 3-5% of patients have this mutation.