What type of drugs are EGFR inhibitors?

Currently available EGFR-inhibiting drugs include the tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) erlotinib, gefitinib, and lapatinib, which are administered orally and interfere with the intracellular tyrosine kinase domain, and the monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) cetuximab and panitumumab, which are administered intravenously and …

How does EGFR inhibitors work?

They work by blocking the action of an abnormal protein that signals cancer cells to multiply. This helps slow or stop the spread of cancer cells. They block the activity of a protein called “EGFR” and thus prevent unregulated cell division.

What is an abnormal EGFR?

There are five stages: Stage 1 (eGFR of 90 or higher) indicates mild kidney damage, but your kidneys are working well. Stage 2 (eGFR between 60 and 89) indicates an increase in kidney damage from stage 1, but the kidneys continue to function well.

Is erlotinib a chemotherapy?

Erlotinib is a non-chemotherapy drug for the treatment of advanced or metastatic NSCLC and is administered orally once a day. It successfully inhibits EGFR, a protein involved in the growth and development of cancers.

How long does erlotinib work?

Erlotinib is highly effective in the subset of patients carrying EGFR mutations. However, even these patients will eventually begin to show progression of their cancer after about 12 months of erlotinib therapy. This is due to development of resistance to the drug in the residual cancer cells.

What cancers does eGFR cause?

EGFR-positive lung cancer represents about 10-15% of lung cancer in the United States and generally appears in adenocarcinoma subtype of non-small cell lung cancer.

How long can you live taking Tagrisso?

The median overall survival was 38.6 months for TAGRISSO vs 31.8 months for erlotinib or gefitinib.

What is the most common side effect of erlotinib?

The most common adverse reactions with TARCEVA are rash and diarrhea usually with onset during the first month of treatment. The incidences of rash and diarrhea from clinical studies of TARCEVA for the treatment of NSCLC and pancreatic cancer were 70% for rash and 42% for diarrhea.