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Novartis’ Zykadia ASCEND-4 Study Close But No Cigar In NSCLC

 
• By Alexandra Shimmings

The presentation of the full data from Novartis’ ASCEND-4 study of Zykadia show decent efficacy in first-line NSCLC but are unlikely to be enough to overcome doctors’ caution over its tolerability profile, especially with rival Alecensa snapping at its heels.

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• Source: Shutterstock

Patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive (ALK+) advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated first-line with Novartis’s Zykadia (ceritinib) showed a doubling of mean progression-free survival compared with those on standard first-line chemotherapy, the full data from the ASCEND-4 study presented at the World Conference on Lung Cancer in Vienna this week reveal. The median PFS with Zykadia was 16.6 months, compared to 8.1 months in patients treated with standard first-line chemotherapy with maintenance, equating to a 45% reduction in the risk of disease progression (p<0.001).

"The patient response to treatment is high and durable in the first-line setting," said Bruno Strigini, CEO of Novartis Oncology,...

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