The next-generation ALK inhibitor brigatinib is approved for use in patients with ALK inhibitor-naïve ALK-positive advanced NSCLC and in patients previously treated with crizotinib. A phase II trial showed that brigatinib is active in patients with ALK-positive metastatic NSCLC (mNSCLC) who had progressed on prior crizotinib (response rate 56 %, median PFS 16.7 months, median OS 34.1 months). We report final data from the UVEA-Brig study of brigatinib in ALK inhibitor-pretreated ALK-positive mNSCLC in clinical practice.
UVEA-Brig was a retrospective chart review of patients treated with brigatinib in Italy, Norway, Spain and the UK in an expanded access program. Adults with ALK-positive mNSCLC, including those with brain lesions, resistant to or intolerant of ≥1 prior ALK inhibitor and ECOG performance status ≤3 were eligible. Patients received brigatinib 180 mg once daily with a 7-day lead-in at 90 mg. The objectives were to describe patient characteristics, clinical disease presentation, treatment regimens used and clinical outcomes.
Data for 104 patients (male: 43 %; median age: 53 [29-80] years; ECOG performance status 0/1/2/3: 41/41/10/5 %; brain/CNS metastases: 63 %) were analyzed. Patients had received a median of 2 (1-6) lines of systemic therapy prior to brigatinib (37.5 % received ≥3) and a median of 1 (1-5) lines of prior ALK inhibitor-containing therapy (crizotinib 83.6 %; ceritinib 50.0 %; alectinib 6.7 %; lorlatinib 4.8 %). At the time of analysis, 77 patients had discontinued brigatinib. Overall, the response rate was 39.8 %, median PFS was 11.3 (95 % CI:8.6-12.9) months and median OS was 23.3 (95 % CI: 16.0-NR) months. Four patients discontinued brigatinib treatment due to adverse events. 53 patients received systemic therapy after brigatinib, 42 with an ALK inhibitor (lorlatinib, n = 34).
These real-world data indicate the activity and tolerability of brigatinib in patients with ALK-positive mNSCLC who were more heavily pretreated than patients included in clinical trials.

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