Discovering the First Targeted Therapy for Treating Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Well, we have been researching and getting to know about a lot of diseases that are harmful to humankind and their treatments that can bring the life of a person back to normal. Today we are going to discuss another form of cancer, i.e. Lung Cancer and treatments that have recently got approvals from the FDA after the series of clinical trials. As 2019 witnessed 3,00,000 cases of lung cancer, it has become the common cause of death in both men and women.
Let’s get to know about Lung Caner and then we will discuss the first targeted therapy for treating the Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC).
A Little about Lung Cancer
Lung Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells on one or both lungs. Cancer begins when these cells start to grow out of control. These are the normal body cells that become abnormal when cancer attacks them. They do not carry out the functions of normal lung cells and do not develop into healthy lung tissue. On growing, these abnormal cells can form tumors and harm the functioning of the lung system which provides oxygen to the body via the blood.
As we know, the cells in the body contain the genetic material called DNA. These cells tend to divide into two new cells when they get mature, which leads to duplication of DNA. The cells are identical and bodies continue to replenish themselves. Cancer begins with an error, or mutation, in a cell’s DNA. DNA mutations can be caused by the normal ageing process or through environmental factors, such as cigarette smoke and exposure to radon gas.
Bio experts and Scientists have found that it takes a series of mutations to create a lung cancer cell. Before becoming fully cancerous, cells can be precancerous, in which they have few mutations left and will perform normally as lung cells. With each mutation, the lung tissue cell becomes more mutated and may not be as effective in carrying out its function as a lung cell. As time passes and situation worsens, some cells may travel away from the original tumor and start growing in other parts of the body. This process is called metastasis and new distant sites are called metastases.
Types and Stages of Lung Cancer
Staging lung cancer depends on whether the cancer is local or has spread from the lungs to other organs. As lungs are quite large, tumors can grow in them for a long time before they are found. There are two major types of lung cancer:
- Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Non-small cell lung cancer is a disease in which malignant cancer cells form in the tissues of the lung. NSCLC has become a common type of cancer and occurs when healthy cells become abnormal and grow rapidly which eventually leads them to spread to other parts of the body. There are three forms of NSCLC:
- Adenocarcinoma
- Squamous Cell Carcinoma
- Large Cell Carcinoma
- Small Cell Lung Cancer
Small-cell lung cancer is a type of malignant cancer that arises within the lung. It is also known as oat cell cancer. Generally, if compared to NSCLC, SCLC has a shorter doubling time, higher growth fraction and earlier development of metastases. As a result, the condition is usually only diagnosed after cancer has spread throughout the body, making the recovery less possible.
Symptoms of Lung Cancer
It is important to report any unusual physical feelings/behaviour to your physician, as these unusual feelings can lead to other serious causes, such as bronchitis. Signs and symptoms of lung cancer take years to develop and may not be noticeable until the disease reaches an advanced stage. Check out the following symptoms of lung cancer:
Symptoms of Lung Cancer in the chest:
- Intense Coughing, Pain in the chest, shoulder, or back
- Shortness of Breath, Changes in the Voice
- Harsh sounds with each breath, Reoccurrence of bronchitis
- Coughing up Mucus or blood
Symptoms of Lung Cancer in the body:
- Loss of Appetite, Muscle Wasting
- Fatigue, Headaches, Joint Pain
- Bone Fractures, Neurological symptoms such as Memory loss
- Neck or Facial Swelling, Bleeding, Blood Clots
Above we had a little overview of the disease, how it increases and what hint it gives when it begins and when it starts spreading in other parts of the body. We will now be going to have a look at one medicinal treatment for non-small cell lung cancer which has received recent approval from the Food and Drug Administration, US after the positive results from clinical trials.
Exploring the New Life-Saving Targeted Therapy: Tabrecta (Capmatinib)
Recently, the U.S. FDA approved Tabrecta (Capmatinib) for the treatment of adult patients diagnosed with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) which has spread to other parts of the body. Tabrecta is the first FDA-approved targeted life-saving therapy to treat NSCLC with specific mutations that lead to mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) exon 14 skipping.
Novartis approved Drug Tabrecta is a kinase inhibitor which can be which received accelerated approval based on the overall response rate and duration of response. The FDA also approved FoundationOne®CDx for use as a companion diagnostic for Tabrecta to assist in identifying the mutations.
NSCLC cells that have an abnormal MET gene can grow and divide even when they are not supposed to which causes the cancer to form and spread to other parts of the body. Capmatinib targets this gene and the signals it makes that tell cells to grow. Tabrecta as a medication stops the growth of this gene and its signals which helps in stopping or slowing down the cancer cell growth.
Taking the Targeted Therapy
Tabrecta (Capmatinib) is an oral drug(tablet) which has to be consumed twice daily (Two – 400 Mg tablets) with or without food. Keep in mind always to swallow the tablets as a whole and do not break, crush or chew them. As the patients can face several effects such as vomiting, it is important to instruct them to not make up for the dose again on the same day. He/she can take the next dose at its scheduled time on the next day.
As Tabrecta offers two strengths (150 Mg and 200 Mg), doses can be modified according to manage adverse reactions. Keep in mind to permanently stop Tabrecta in patients who are unable to tolerate 200 Mg doses.
Checking on the Side Effects
Side effects of Tabrecta include:
- Swelling of extremities, Nausea, Fatigue, Vomiting, Shortness of breath
- Decreased Appetite, Non-cardiac chest pain, Back Pain, Fever,
- Weight Loss, Constipation, Diarrhoea, Cough
Precautions
- Capmatinib may also cause the skin to be more sensitive to the sun. keep in mind to limit direct sunlight exposure by wearing sunscreen, clothes that cover your skin.
- Avoid getting pregnant and use birth control as it will harm the unborn foetus. You are also advised to not to breastfeed during the treatment.
Status of Treatment in India
As Tabrecta was recently approved under the accelerated approval pathway, which provides for the approval of drugs that treat serious or life-threatening diseases and generally provide a meaningful advantage over existing treatments. Doctors and experts all over the world are having high hopes from the drug as it will be the best cures for lung cancer apart from any other therapy.
We are hoping to get hands-on this targeted treatment soon in India. Patients are looking for the drug’s price many not find proper information. We recommend you to contact the best organisation for knowing about the drug such as ourselves because we will help you in all the processes, from contacting the best physicians to making out the arrangements for your treatments. If need be, we would also assist our patients or clients getting special level access to formally import the medication.
Do reach out to the team of best pharmaceutical consultants at Indian Pharma Network as we will assist you with the best advice and any medication that you need from any part of the globe.
Visit: https://indianpharmanetwork.co.in/
Or
Call Mr Neeraj Nagpal on 9811747774
Reference Links:
- https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-targeted-therapy-treat-aggressive-form-lung-cancer
- http://www.pmlive.com/pharma_news/fda_clears_novartis_tabrecta_for_metex14_lung_cancer_1340092
- https://www.rxlist.com/tabrecta-drug.htm#description
- https://www.novartis.com/news/media-releases/novartis-announces-met-inhibitor-tabrecta-approved-japan-advanced-non-small-cell-lung-cancer-metex14
- https://www.medicinenet.com/lung_cancer/article.htm
- https://www.cancer.org/cancer/lung-cancer/treating-non-small-cell.html
- https://lungcancer.net/medications/tabrecta-capmatinib/
- https://www.drugs.com/dosage/tabrecta.html
