How effective is capmatinib?

Capmatinib (Capmatinib) is a drug used to treat adult non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) when the cancer is advanced and its cells undergo specific genetic mutations (changes) that cause "mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition factor gene exon 14 (metex-14) skipping." This means that the cancer cells produce an abnormal form of the protein called MET because a part of the MET gene called exon 14 is not used. Capmatinib can be used to continue treatment when patients require further treatment after receiving immunotherapy or platinum-based chemotherapy, or both.

The role of capmatinib was investigated in a major study involving100 patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer with a "METex14-skipping" mutation whose disease had progressed after prior immunotherapy treatment with or without platinum-based chemotherapy. Using body scans to assess response to treatment (reduction in cancer size), 44% of patients showed partial or complete cancer shrinkage after receiving capmatinib. On average, this reaction lasted at least 10 months. In this study, capmatinib was not compared with any other NSCLC treatment or placebo (dummy treatment).

MET proteins belong to a family of enzymes called receptor tyrosine kinases, which are involved in cell growth. In non-small cell lung cancer patients with "METex14 skipping," an abnormal form of the MET protein is produced, causing cancer cells to divide and grow in an uncontrolled manner. The active ingredient in capmatinib, capmatinib, is a receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor that attaches to this abnormal MET protein in cancer cells. This blocks the action of MET, helping to slow the growth and spread of cancer.