Thumbs-Up on Alectinib from European Commission

Roche announced that the European Commission approved alectinib (Alcensa) for some adults with ALK-positive non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with a high risk of recurrence. The decision was based on the phase III ALINA study, in which patients whose tumors had been surgically removed and who received the ALK inhibitor experienced a 76% drop in the risk of disease recurrence or death compared with those who received platinum-based chemotherapy (N Engl J Med 2024;390:1265–76). An exploratory analysis also showed improvement in disease-free survival in patients with central nervous system metastases.