Pfizer’s Lorviqua (lorlatinib) has been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as a first-line treatment for certain types of lung cancer. The announcement follows the publication of NICE’s final guidance on the therapy, which provides a new treatment option for eligible lung cancer patients in England.
Under the new recommendation, Lorviqua is approved for use in adults with anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have not previously received an ALK inhibitor.
Lorviqua is an orally administered ALK inhibitor that targets enzymes involved in cell growth and division, helping to prevent the proliferation of cancer cells.
Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, with around 40,000 patients diagnosed in England each year. NSCLC accounts for approximately 80-85% of all lung cancer cases, and around 5% of these involve ALK-positive tumours.
NICE previously declined to recommend Lorviqua for first-line use in 2023, although the therapy was made available on the NHS in England as a second-line option. The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) approved Lorviqua as a first-line treatment for NHS Scotland in 2022.
Yvonne Diaz, co-founder and chair, Oncogene Cancer Research said: “We are delighted that NICE has recommended lorlatinib as a first-line treatment for ALK-positive advanced non-small-cell lung cancer, which tends to affect younger patients and has a higher symptom burden and a poorer survival prognosis compared with other non-small-cell lung cancers.
“Since there’s currently no cure for the disease, it’s essential that patients are able to access therapies that can help them have a good quality of life and live progression-free for years.”