China approves Pfizer's lung cancer therapy

Biopharmaceutical company Pfizer announced on Friday that Lorbrena, the world's first third-generation anaplastic lymphoma kinase inhibitor, has been approved by China's National Medical Products Administration for the treatment of patients with ALK-positive locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer.

As Pfizer's innovative targeted lung cancer therapy, the tablet demonstrates breakthrough in improving patients' progression-free survival, can better penetrate blood-brain barrier, and have less drug resistance, said the company.

It is recommended by the latest global guidelines as a preferred first-line therapy, and is expected to reshape the treatment landscape of the disease by providing patients with long-term benefits, the company said.

"This innovative therapy is a great example of how Pfizer fulfills its mission to deliver 'breakthroughs that change patients' lives'," said Jean-Christophe Pointeau, president of Pfizer Biopharmaceuticals China.

"With the joint efforts of all, we believe that we'll eventually beat cancer, and contribute to the ambition to increase the overall five-year survival rate of cancer patients by 15 percent by 2030 under the Healthy China 2030 Initiative," he said.

Lung cancer has the highest incidence and mortality rates among all malignant tumors in China. The average age of patients with ALK-positive advanced NSCLC is 52. Data showed that 20 to 40 percent of the patients had brain metastasis at initial diagnosis, and the incidence rose over time.

zhouwenting@chinadaily.com.cn