The receptor tyrosine kinase rearranged during transfection (RET) is an oncogenic driver activated in multiple cancers, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), medullary thyroid cancer (MTC), and papillary thyroid cancer. No approved therapies have been designed to target RET; treatment has been limited to multikinase inhibitors (MKI), which can have significant off-target toxicities and limited efficacy. BLU-667 is a highly potent and selective RET inhibitor designed to overcome these limitations. , BLU-667 demonstrated ≥10-fold increased potency over approved MKIs against oncogenic RET variants and resistance mutants., BLU-667 potently inhibited growth of NSCLC and thyroid cancer xenografts driven by various mutations and fusions without inhibiting VEGFR2. In first-in-human testing, BLU-667 significantly inhibited RET signaling and induced durable clinical responses in patients with-altered NSCLC and MTC without notable off-target toxicity, providing clinical validation for selective RET targeting. Patients with -driven cancers derive limited benefit from available MKIs. BLU-667 is a potent and selective RET inhibitor that induces tumor regression in cancer models with mutations and fusions. BLU-667 attenuated RET signaling and produced durable clinical responses in patients with -altered tumors, clinically validating selective RET targeting..

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9008 Background: RET fusions are targetable oncogenic drivers in up to 2% of NSCLC, yet no selective RET inhibitors are approved. BLU-667 is an investigational highly potent and selective RET inhibitor targeting oncogenic RET alterations, including those that confer resistance to multikinase inhibitors (MKIs). We provide an update on the registration-enabling ARROW study (NCT03037385) of BLU-667 in pts with RET-fusion+ NSCLC. Methods: The global ARROW study includes DE (30-600 mg daily [QD or BID]) and dose expansion (DX) at the recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D; 400 mg QD) in pts with advanced solid tumors. Primary objectives are overall response rate (ORR; RECIST 1.1) and safety. Results: As of 19Dec2018, 79 pts (21 DE, 58 DX) with advanced RET fusion+ NSCLC (44 KIF5B, 16 CCDC6, 19 other/pending) received BLU-667. Median number of prior therapies was 2 (range 0-8) and includes chemotherapy (76%), immunotherapy (41%), and MKI (27%). 39% had baseline brain metastases. ORR among 57 response-evaluable pts with measurable disease and at least one follow-up disease assessment was 56% (95% CI: 42, 69; 32 partial responses (PR), 9 PR pending confirmation, 20 stable disease, 5 progressive disease). 91% (29/32) of responding pts remain on treatment; 6 have achieved response duration ≥ 6 months. Disease control rate (DCR) was 91% (52/57). Among 30 pts at the RP2D previously treated with platinum chemotherapy, ORR was 60% (18 PRs; 7 pending confirmation). Responses occur regardless of prior treatment or RET fusion genotypes. Intracranial activity has been observed with shrinkage of brain metastases. 80% of NSCLC pts treated at RP2D remain on treatment and only 3% discontinued due to related adverse event. In NSCLC patients, treatment-related toxicity (TRT), generally low-grade and reversible (28% had ≥ grade 3 events), included increased AST (22%), hypertension (18%), increased ALT (17%), constipation (17%), fatigue (15%) and decreased neutrophils (15%). Conclusions: BLU-667 demonstrated potent, durable and broad antitumor activity and was well tolerated in pts with advanced RET-fusion+ NSCLC. Enrollment of the expansion is ongoing with registrational intent. Clinical trial information: NCT03037385.

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Co-developing a drug with a diagnostic to create a stratified medicine - a therapy that is targeted to a specific patient population on the basis of a clinical characteristic such as a biomarker that predicts treatment response - presents challenges for product developers, regulators, payers and physicians. With the aim of developing a shared framework and tools for addressing these challenges, here we present an analysis using data from case studies in oncology and Alzheimer's disease, coupled with integrated computational modelling of clinical outcomes and developer economic value, to quantify the effects of decisions related to key issues such as the design of clinical trials. This illustrates how such analyses can aid the coordination of diagnostic and drug development, and the selection of optimal development and commercialization strategies. It also illustrates the impact of the interplay of these factors on the economic feasibility of stratified medicine, which has important implications for public policy makers.