Approval demonstrates significant step forward in the treatment of adult advanced NSCLC patients with METex14
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended Tepmetko (tepotinib) for the treatment of adult patients in the UK with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Tepotinib is the first and only oral MET inhibitor to be recommended for the treatment of adult patients with advanced NSCLC harbouring METex14 skipping alterations for use on the NHS in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Interim funding via the Cancer Drugs Fund will enable reimbursement of tepotinib in England until NICE final guidance is published.
Dr Shobhit Baijal, consultant medical oncologist at University Hospital Birmingham NHS Trust, explained: “Existing treatment options for patients with METex14 skipping mutations have generally shown limited progression-free survival and overall survival benefits. Tepotinib is a new targeted therapy and the first MET inhibitor to be made available for eligible patients.
“It is a significant step forward in the treatment of adult advanced NSCLC patients with METex14 skipping alterations and has demonstrated its clinical benefits for this aggressive type of lung cancer. Treatment involves identifying a genomic biomarker to be able to provide this new potential treatment option.”
Paula Chadwick, CEO of the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, said: “It is excellent news to hear that NICE has approved tepotinib for people with non-small cell lung cancer and MET alterations. This is an aggressive type of lung cancer so we welcome any and all new treatments that could give patients a chance to live longer and live well with this disease.”
“It is vital all patients have access to more targeted treatments for their specific type of lung cancer and that they undergo genomic testing. That way, they can benefit from the new therapies, like tepotinib, that are now available to them,” she concluded.
NSCLCs with MET alterations are generally associated with poorer clinical prognosis compared to NSCLCs without them. This makes them a significant therapeutic target for personalised treatment, which can be identified via a tissue sample.
