Pfizer drug extends life for people with rare form of lung cancer

Pfizer's lung cancer drug, Lorlatinib, shows significant tumor reduction and survival improvement in advanced ALK-positive NSCLC patients.

A Pfizer lung cancer drug has been shown to greatly reduce tumour progression and improve survival outcomes for people in the advanced stages of a rare form of the disease, according to trial results published on Friday.

Lorlatinib, which is already approved and available under the brand name Lorbrena in the United States, was tested in a clinical trial of hundreds of people with anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Roughly half received lorlatinib while the rest received crizotinib, an earlier generation drug.

After five years of follow-up, more than half of patients treated with lorlatinib did not see their cancer progress.

"We're talking about patients with advanced metastatic disease — so this is actually a truly unprecedented finding," Pfizer's thoracic oncology strategy lead Despina Thomaidou said.

60% of patients receiving lorlatinib, an oral one a day tablet, were alive without disease progression after five years compared to 8% on crizotinib.

"There is an 81% reduction in the risk of progression or death," added Thomaidou.