Which gene mutation lung cancer is mainly treated by capmatinib?

Capmatinib (Capmatinib) is an oral small molecule MET inhibitor, mainly used to treat patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) associated with MET gene abnormalities. Especially for lung cancer patients carrying MET exon 14 skipping mutation (MET exon 14 skipping mutation), capmatinib has shown significant therapeutic effects. This mutation leads to an impairment of the degradation function of the MET protein, thereby enhancing its oncogenic activity and promoting tumor growth.

In non-small cell lung cancer, METexon 14 skipping mutations account for about 3%-4% of lung adenocarcinomas, and are more common in older people and patients with less smoking history. For such patients, traditional chemotherapy and immunotherapy usually have limited effects. Capmatinib specifically targets the mutated MET protein, inhibits its signaling pathway, significantly delays tumor progression, and improves the objective response rate (ORR) and progression-free survival (PFS).

Clinical trial data show that capmatinib has a response rate of more than 60% in patients with untreated MET exon 14 skipping mutations, and some patients have significantly reduced lesions or even achieved complete response. Capmatinib has also shown good results in previously treated patients, and its activity in patients with brain metastases is particularly concerning, indicating that it has a certain ability to penetrate the central nervous system and provides a new treatment option for patients with advanced or metastatic NSCLC.

In general, the launch of capmatinib is a major breakthrough for MET mutation-positive lung cancer patients, marking a shift in lung cancer treatment from traditional therapy to more precise and individualized treatment. With the popularization of genetic testing technology, more and more lung cancer patients can choose targeted drugs such as capmatinib to obtain more efficient and low-side-effect treatment options by discovering MET-related mutations.

Reference materials:https://www.novartis.com/our-products/pipeline/capmatinib