NHS patients are to be Europe’s first to benefit from a revolutionary new drug for the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer. Sotorasib, developed by U.S. drugs giant Amgen and sold under the brand name Lumakras, was approved by the FDA in May following clinical trials in which it demonstrated the ability to stop tumours from growing for several months.
The next-generation drug targets a difficult to penetrate mutation known as the “death star” due to its spherical shape, found in a quarter of all tumours. It’s the death star in tumours that is most resistant to treatment.
Sotorasib, which is taken as a tablet, has finally solved a problem four decades of research has struggled with. Amgen, whose R&D department developed the drug, is also confident the drug will prove itself to have similar levels of success when used to treat pancreatic and bowel cancer.
Cancer Research UK’s chief clinician Professor Charles Swanton commented on the NHS’s decision to prescribe the breakthrough treatment:
“Sotorasib is one of the most exciting breakthroughs in lung cancer treatment in 20 years, targeting a cancer gene that was previously untargetable and built on decades of laboratory research that’s unravelled cancer’s inner workings.”
The gene Sotorasib is able to target is KRAS, which is responsible for the production of a protein that is used to build new cells. A mutation of KRAS can leave the protein production ‘on’ switch jammed open when it is normally switched on and off as required. Excess production of the protein means more and more cells are produced by the body, which form a tumour. Sotorasib binds with the mutation, deactivating it to stop the out-of-control cell division that becomes cancer.
Swanton concluded:
“This medicine expands our list of effective precision therapies in lung cancer that are helping to improve survival for patients with limited options.”
Around 600 lung cancer patients a year will be given the drug by the NHS, starting from this month.
NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard commented:
“The NHS has a strong track record of securing best value access to world-class treatments for our patients and this lung cancer drug is the latest deal landed by the health service in England which will save lives.
“Cancer services have been prioritised throughout the pandemic and despite the unavoidable disruption, the NHS has put to good use the additional resources to help us respond.”
The Amgen share price has had a disappointing last 12 months, down almost 11% despite the approval of its new lung cancer drug.