Dr. Niu on Selecting Between Selpercatinib and Pralsetinib in RET Fusion+ NSCLC

Jason Niu, MD, PhD, director, Lung Cancer Program, Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses considerations for selecting between selpercatinib (Retevmo) and pralsetinib (Gavreto) in RET fusion–positive non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Selpercatinib and pralsetinib are FDA approved for the treatment of patients with metastatic RET fusion–positive NSCLC, says Niu. Both agents have demonstrated comparable efficacy in this patient population, so selecting between the compounds can present clinical challenges, Niu explains.

Regarding safety, selpercatinib can cause QT prolongation, which needs to be managed, says Niu. Other agents commonly utilized in lung cancer, such as osimertinib (Tagrisso), can also cause QT prolongation, Niu explains. Patients receiving selpercatinib should have regular EKG tests to identify any changes from baseline, Niu says.

Although, both agents can cause liver dysfunction, they are generally well tolerated, concludes Niu.