Alectinib OK’d for NSCLC

Genentech’s alectinib (Alecensa) received FDA approval for adjuvant treatment of non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in patients with ALK-positive disease. The decision was based on the phase III ALINA trial, in which 257 patients with stage IB to IIIA NSCLC received either alectinib or platinum-based chemotherapy following surgery (N Engl J Med 2024;390:1265–76). Researchers reported that median disease-free survival (DFS) among patients with stage II to IIIA disease who received the ALK inhibitor was not reached, whereas median DFS was 44.4 months among those who received chemotherapy. In the overall study population, median DFS was not reached with alectinib and was 41.3 months with chemotherapy.