Is Erdafitinib effective in treating lung cancer?

Erdafitinib (Erdafitinib) is an oral targeted inhibitor used to treat advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma with FGFR gene mutations. Erdafitinib is currently approved for this indication and has been shown to have good efficacy in this type of cancer. However, the efficacy of erdafitinib for the treatment of lung cancer is still under investigation.

Erdafitinib is a potent and selective panFGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor that has been shown to be effective in the treatment of lung adenocarcinoma (LADC); however, the molecular mechanisms responsible for this effect remain unclear. In vitro studies have shown that erdafitinib exhibits significant anti-cancer activity in the human LADC cell line A549 by inducing S-phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Mechanistic studies based on transcriptome data show that erdafitinib exerts its anti-cancer effects by affecting cell cycle-related pathways, and CDK2 is the regulatory target of the drug. However, these data are not sufficient to confirm the efficacy of erdafitinib in the treatment of lung cancer, and it has not been officially approved for the treatment of this disease.

The original version of erdafitinib has not yet been launched in China, so it cannot be covered by medical insurance. The original version of erdafitinib currently sold in Hong Kong may cost more than 20,000 yuan per box of specifications 4mg*14 tablets (the price may fluctuate due to exchange rates). Cheaper erdafitinib generic drugs produced by other pharmaceutical factories are also sold overseas. The pharmaceutical ingredients are basically the same as those of the original drug. For example, the price of 4mg*60 tablets produced by a Bangladeshi pharmaceutical factory may be more than 3,000 yuan per box (the price may fluctuate due to exchange rates).