Dr. Le on the Safety of Twice-Daily Poziotinib in EGFR- or HER2 Exon 20–Positive NSCLC

Xiuning Le, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of thoracic/head and neck medical oncology, Division of Internal Medicine, at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the safety findings of the phase 2 ZENITH20-5 study (NCT03318939) with poziotinib in patients with EGFR- or HER2 exon 20–positive non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

When comparing a 16 mg daily dose of poziotinib with an 8 mg twice daily dose, a significant reduction in adverse effects (AEs), such as diarrhea and rash, were observed, according to Le. This reduction in AEs can significantly improve patient quality of life, Le adds. Additionally, significant reductions or delays to first dose interruption were noted with the twice-daily regimen.

By splitting the daily 16-mg dose into an 8-mg dose given twice daily, the full dose of poziotinib was still received with significantly improved safety, Le says. Currently, investigators are examining whether the total dose intensity of this regimen will be improved, which is likely, Le concludes.