The Rationale Behind Comparing Larotrectinib and Entrectinib In Metastatic Solid Tumors

Jesús García-Foncillas, MD, PhD, the director of the University Cancer Insitute and the Department of Oncology at the University Hospital Fundacion Jimenez Diaz and professor of oncology at the Autonomous University of Madrid, discusses the rationale behind comparing the efficacy of larotrectinib (Vitrakvi) and entrectinib (Rozlytrek) head-to-head in patients with metastatic solid tumors with neurotrophic gene fusions.

According to García-Foncillas, larotrectinib and entrectinib are first-generation tyrosine receptor kinase (TRK) inhibitors that are approved for the treatment of metastatic solid tumors with neurotrophic gene fusions. Approval of both agents were based on single-arm phase 1 and 2 studies known as the “basket trials.”

While the trials showed the efficacy and safety of both agents, no head to head trials have been conducted comparing the 2 agents, according to García-Foncillas. More research is needed in order to determine the safety and efficacy considerations of each one. 

0:08 | Obviously, you know that larotrectinib and entrectinib are first generation tyrosine receptor kinase inhibitors for the treatment of bumps or metastatic solid tumor cancer with neurotrophic gene fusions. Regulatory approval of both agents was based on data from single arm phase one and two studies, including tumor agnostic basket trials. Although the pivotal trial demonstrated extreme efficacy and safety in this patient population, no head to head trials have directly compare these treatments. So, the objective that we're pursuing in our research was to compare selected efficacy and safety between these two TRK inhibitors, after harmonizing differences in patient characteristics between the trial population.