Cited 33 times since 2019 (6.4 per year) source: EuropePMC Journal of thoracic oncology : official publication of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, Volume 14, Issue 7, 7 1 2019, Pages 1255-1265 Efficacy and Safety of Ceritinib (450 mg/d or 600 mg/d) With Food Versus 750-mg/d Fasted in Patients With ALK Receptor Tyrosine Kinase (ALK)-Positive NSCLC: Primary Efficacy Results From the ASCEND-8 Study. Cho BC, Obermannova R, Bearz A, McKeage M, Kim DW, Batra U, Borra G, Orlov S, Kim SW, Geater SL, Postmus PE, Laurie SA, Park K, Yang CT, Ardizzoni A, Bettini AC, de Castro G, Kiertsman F, Chen Z, Lau YY, Viraswami-Appanna K, Passos VQ, Dziadziuszko R

Introduction

In an earlier report of the ASCEND-8 study (open-label, phase I, three-arm study, treatment-naive patients and pre-treated patients with advanced/metastatic NSCLC), it was shown that ceritinib 450 mg with food had comparable exposure and better gastrointestinal tolerability than 750-mg fasted.

Methods

Here, we report efficacy and updated safety data from primary efficacy analysis of the ASCEND-8 study. Key secondary endpoints were overall response rate and duration of response, assessed by blinded independent review committee (BIRC) using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors 1.1.

Results

In total, 306 patients were randomized to ceritinib 450-mg fed (n = 108) or 600-mg fed (n = 87) or 750-mg fasted (n = 111), of which 304 patients were included in safety analysis and 198 treatment-naive patients (ALK receptor tyrosine kinase [ALK]-positive by immunohistochemistry) were included in the efficacy analysis (450-mg fed [n = 73], 600-mg fed [n = 51], and 750-mg fasted [n = 74]). The BIRC-assessed overall response rate was 78.1% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 66.9-86.9), 72.5% (95% CI: 58.3-84.1), and 75.7% (95% CI: 64.3-84.9), respectively; and the median duration of response (months) by BIRC was not estimable (NE) (95% CI: 11.2-NE), 20.7 (95% CI: 15.8-NE), and 15.4 (95% CI: 8.3-NE), respectively. Based on the safety analysis (n = 304), the 450-mg fed arm showed the highest median relative dose intensity (100% versus 78.5% versus 83.7%), lowest proportion of patients with dose reductions (24.1% versus 65.1% versus 60.9%), and lowest proportion of patients with gastrointestinal toxicities (75.9% versus 82.6% versus 91.8%).

Conclusion

Ceritinib at a dose of 450 mg with food compared to 750-mg fasted showed consistent efficacy and less gastrointestinal toxicity.

J Thorac Oncol. 2019 3;14(7):1255-1265