The new therapy is said to ‘slow down’ or ‘stop the growth’ of the cancer
The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved Krazati (adagrasib) to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in adult patients.
It is a targeted treatment option for patients with KRASG12C mutation when the cancer has spread to other body parts.
They also informed that the drug is for patients who “failed” to respond to prior therapies.
The health regulator confirmed that Krazati attaches to the protein and stops it from working, which “may slow down or stop the growth of the cancer.”
This new drug is manufactured by a biotechnology company, Mirati Therapeutics, that discovers new therapies to cure patients with cancer.
Alan Sandler, chief medical officer of Mirati Therapeutics said: “KRAZATI offers a compelling therapeutic option for patients with previously treated locally advanced NSCLC with a KRASG12C mutation.
“MHRA’s authorisation is a significant step towards improving the options available for patients and clinicians in Great Britain.”
Krazati is available in 200mg tablet form, and patients are recommended to take three tablets at the same time twice a day.
However, the medicine has various side effects that can lower red blood cell counts resulting in tiredness and pale skin.
The other side effects include loss of appetite, feeling dizzy, nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting, and headache due to low blood sodium levels.
More than 43,000 new lung cancer cases are reported every year in the UK and NSCLC accounts for approximately 80-85 per cent of these cases.
It is estimated that 13-14 per cent of patients with this type of lung cancer produce the KRAS G12C protein.
