Video
Dr. Zalcberg on the Approval of Avapritinib in GIST
Author(s):
John Zalcberg, PhD, OAM, discusses the approval of avapritinib in gastrointestinal stromal tumor.
John Zalcberg, PhD, OAM, the Prof & Tony Charlton Chair of Oncology, head, Cancer Research Program, NHMRC (MRFF) Practitioner Fellow, the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, discusses the approval of avapritinib (Ayvakit) in gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST).
On January 9, 2020, the FDA approved avapritinib for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic GIST who harbor a PDGFRα exon 18 mutation, including PDGFRα D842V mutations.
Findings from the phase 1 NAVIGATOR trial, which led to the regulatory decision, demonstrated a high overall response rate of 84% in patients who received avapritinib and harbored a PDGFRα exon-18 mutation.
Additionally, the ORR was 89% in the population of patients with PDGFRα D842V mutations, which included an 8% complete response rate and an 82% partial response rate.
Avapritinib now has a significant role in the management of patients with unresectable or metastatic GIST, Zalcberg concludes.
