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STAT+: Nuvalent says its ROS1-targeted drug shrank lung tumors in patients who failed other options
New data indicate a targeted drug from Nuvalent could help patients with a rare lung cancer for whom other drugs stopped working
The biotech firm Nuvalent said Tuesday that new data indicate its targeted drug zidesamtinib could help patients with a rare form of lung cancer that has failed other treatments.
For 1% to 2% of patients with non-small cell lung cancer, tumors test positive for alterations in a gene called ROS1. ROS1-positive tumors often respond to one of five targeted therapies on the market, the first of which was approved in 2016 and the most recent of which was approved two weeks ago. But the existing medicines sometimes stop working because the cancer mutates further, and they can come with serious side effects, including neurological issues.
Hopes for zidesamtinib and another targeted cancer medicine have driven Nuvalent’s market capitalization to $5.5 billion.
