February 09, 2016.
Promising recent clinical trial data for Boehringer Ingelheim’s tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) Gilotrif (afatinib) will strengthen the drug’s position in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment markets outside the US, says research and consulting firm GlobalData.
The LUX-Lung 7 trial showed Gilotrif to reduce the risk of adenocarcinoma progression for patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations by 27% compared with one of its closest rivals, AstraZeneca’s Iressa (gefitinib). The differential in progression-free survival at 18 months was 27% for Gilotrif and 15% for Iressa, increasing further at 24 months, to 18% and 8%, respectively.
According to GlobalData analyst Cai Xuan, these trial results suggest that "Gilotrif may have superior long-term efficacy to Iressa, which will encourage uptake in NSCLC markets in Europe and Asia". The US market, however, will likely continue to be dominated by Genentech/Astellas Pharmaceuticals’ Tarceva (erlotinib).
For more see GlobalData's report here.