Approval summary for erlotinib for treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer after failure of at least one prior chemotherapy regimen.

Article Details

Citation

Johnson JR, Cohen M, Sridhara R, Chen YF, Williams GM, Duan J, Gobburu J, Booth B, Benson K, Leighton J, Hsieh LS, Chidambaram N, Zimmerman P, Pazdur R

Approval summary for erlotinib for treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer after failure of at least one prior chemotherapy regimen.

Clin Cancer Res. 2005 Sep 15;11(18):6414-21.

PubMed ID
16166415 [ View in PubMed
]
Abstract

PURPOSE: To describe the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review and approval of erlotinib (Tarceva, OSI Pharmaceuticals, Melville, NY) for treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after failure of at least one prior chemotherapy regimen. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: The FDA reviewed raw data in electronic format from a randomized controlled clinical trial comparing erlotinib with placebo in patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC after failure of at least one prior chemotherapy regimen. RESULTS: Patients were randomized in a 2:1 ratio (erlotinib, n = 488 and placebo, n = 243). Erlotinib was superior to placebo for survival, progression-free survival, and tumor response rate. Exploratory analyses indicate that epidermal growth factor receptor status may be an important predictor of the erlotinib survival effect. Rash (75% versus 17%) and diarrhea (54% versus 18%) in the erlotnib and placebo group respectively were the most common adverse events. Severe rash occurred in 9% and severe diarrhea in 6% of erlotinib-treated patients and each resulted in study discontinuation in 1% of patients. Dose reductions were required for 10% of patients with rash and 4% of patients with diarrhea. CONCLUSIONS: On November 18, 2004, the FDA granted erlotinib regular approval for treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC after failure of at least one prior chemotherapy regimen. The applicant has committed to conduct post-marketing clinical trials to assess further the effect of epidermal growth factor receptor expression, measured with immunohistochemical staining, on erlotinib treatment effect.

DrugBank Data that Cites this Article

Drug Enzymes
DrugEnzymeKindOrganismPharmacological ActionActions
ErlotinibCytochrome P450 1A1ProteinHumans
Unknown
Substrate
Details
ErlotinibCytochrome P450 1A2ProteinHumans
Unknown
Substrate
Details
ErlotinibCytochrome P450 3A4ProteinHumans
Unknown
Substrate
Inhibitor
Details