What kind of medicine is Canafenib/Encofenib used to treat?

Encorafenib is an oral, small-molecule BRAF kinase inhibitor that can be used in combination with other drugs to treat melanoma, colorectal cancer, and non-small cell lung cancer.

1. Melanoma: Combination of canafenib and bimetinib (Binimetinib) is indicated for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma with BRAF V600E or V600K mutations detected in FDA-approved trials. Approximately 50% of patients diagnosed with metastatic melanoma test positive for BRAF mutations, the most common genetic mutation in metastatic melanoma. But canafenib is not suitable for treating patients with wild-type BRAF melanoma.

2. Colorectal cancer (CRC): Canafenib is used in combination with cetuximab for the treatment of adult patients with metastatic colorectal cancer whose BRAF V600E mutation has been detected by an FDA-approved test after previous treatment. It is estimated that BRAF mutations occur in up to 15% of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. But canafenib is not suitable for treating patients with wild-type BRAF colorectal cancer.

3. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): Canafenib in combination with bimetinib (Binimetinib) is used to treat adult patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer with BRAF V600E mutations detected in an FDA-approved test. It is estimated that BRAF mutations occur in 2% to 5% of patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. But canafenib is not suitable for treating patients with wild-type BRAF non-small cell lung cancer.

Canafenib is only used in patients with an abnormal BRAF gene, which is a specific genetic marker. Doctors test patients for this gene. Canafenib, as an ATP-competitive RAF kinase inhibitor, reduces ERK phosphorylation and downregulates cyclin D1. Canafenib has a plasma elimination half-life of approximately 6 hours and is primarily metabolized by cytochrome P450 enzymes.