Tumor-agnostic Vitrakvi lands in Big 5 tertiary hospitals

in Korea

Lands in major hospitals in the metropolitan area including NCC and SNUBH

Listed through the pharmacoeconomic evaluation exemption track in April... expectations rise for its active prescriptions

The tumor-agnostic drug ‘Vitrakvi’ has landed in the Big 5 tertiary hospitals in Korea.

 

According to industry sources, Bayer Korea’s neurotrophic tyrosine receptor kinase targeted anticancer drug Vitrakvi (larotrectinib) has passed the drug committees of major hospitals in Korea, including general hospitals like the Samsung Medical Center, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul St.Mary’s Hospital, Asan Medical Center, and Sinchon Severance Hospital and major medical institutions such as Gangnam Severance Hospital, National Cancer Center, and Seoul National University Bundang Hospital.

 

The drug is seemingly settling quickly in the prescription market after it was listed for reimbursement in April.

 

Vitrakvi, which received marketing approval in Korea in May last year, underwent the reimbursement listing process through the pharmacoeconomic evaluation exemption track and passed HIRA’s Drug Reimbursement Evaluation Committee review in November.

 

Its competitor which has the same mechanism of action, Roche’s ‘Rozyltrek’ is also undergoing pricing negotiations with the NHIS.

 

Vitrakvi is indicated for use in adult and pediatric patients with solid cancer who have progressed after using conventional treatment options or have no suitable treatment options available that have NTRK gene fusions without a known acquired resistance mutation, that are either metastatic or where surgical resection is likely to result in severe morbidity.

 

In other words, it may be used in virtually most cancer types with an identified NTRK gene.

 

Vitrakvi’s approval was based on data from a Phase I trial on adults 18 years and older, the Phase II NAVIGATE study on pediatric and adult patients over the age of 12, and the Phase I/II SCOUT study on pediatric patients aged 1 month to 21 years that includes those with primary CNS tumor.

 

According to an efficacy review that was conducted on 55 patients with identified NTRK fusion in the 3 studies above, Vitrakvi’s overall response rate (ORR) was 75% and partial response 53% in various cancer types (including soft tissue sarcoma, infantile fibrosarcoma, salivary gland tumors, thyroid cancer, lung cancer, melanoma, colon cancer, gastrointestinal stromal tumor, cholangiocarcinoma, appendiceal carcinoma, breast cancer, and pancreatic cancer) Vitrakvi showed an effect not only in adults but also in pediatric patients.

 

Twenty-four patients aged 1 year or less participated in the studies above, and the drug showed the same efficacy in these patients as in adult patients.

 

As a result, Vitrakvi was approved for use in both pediatric and adult patients.