Dr. Leighl Discusses Binimetinib in KRAS-Mutated NSCLC

Natasha Leighl, MD, medical oncologist, Cancer Clinical Research Unit, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, discusses binimetinib (Mektovi) in KRAS-mutated non—small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

The most common gene to be abnormal in NSCLC is RAS, Leighl says. Currently, there is no targeted therapy for this large population of patients, so they receive standard chemotherapy or immunotherapy. KRAS-driven tumors rely on MEK to promote cancer survival, explains Leighl. Binimetinib is a potent oral inhibitor of MEK1 and MEK2, and it is a very well tolerated.

Binimetinib was approved by the FDA in June 2018 in combination with the BRAF inhibitor encorafenib (Braftovi) for the treatment of patients with BRAF-mutant unresectable or metastatic melanoma, as detected by an FDA-approved test. Leighl says that based on this study in melanoma, investigators thought binimetinib might be a beneficial addition to frontline chemotherapy. At the 2018 International Lung Cancer Congress, Leighl presented data on the optimal dose of binimetinib with carboplatin and pemetrexed in patients with non-squamous NSCLC.