Taken orally once or twice a day, it interferes with an on-switch for cancer growth caused by an acquired genetic defect, known as tropomyosin receptor kinase (TRK) fusions. "A total of 13 percent of the patients (seven patients) had a complete response, 62 percent (34) had a partial response," said the report. If larotrectinib gains approval for wider use, it could treat thousands of patients with these forms of cancer around the world. "Screening strategies that include assays with the ability to detect TRK fusions will be needed in order to identify patients who may benefit from larotrectinib," said the report. TRK fusions are found in a range of cancer types but tend to be unusual in common cancers, occurring in between 0.2 percent and three percent of cases.

Source: Bangkok Post February 21, 2018 23:37 UTC