Tecentriq Receives New Lung Cancer Indication

May 18, 2020 – The U.S FDA has approved a new indication for Tecentriq® (atezolizumab), manufactured by Genentech, to provide initial treatment for adults who have metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and whose tumors have high PD-L1 expression as determined by an FDA-approved test, with no EGFR or ALK genomic tumor aberrations. Tecentriq is the first and only single-agent cancer immunotherapy with three dosing options that allow administration once every two, three, or four weeks.

Non-small cell lung cancer accounts for up to 85% of all lung cancer diagnoses. Overall, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States, with five-year survival rates dropping sharply once the disease becomes metastatic (spreads beyond the lungs to other parts of the body). NSCLC tumors often express a protein called programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) that can interfere with the body’s ability tomount an immune response against cancer cells. Tecentriq blocks the activity of this protein, allowing the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells.

In a clinical study, Tecentriq delivered a median overall survival time of 20.2 months compared to 13.1 months with chemotherapy in patients with NSCLC and high PD-L1 expression. Recommended dosing is 840mg given every two weeks, 1200mg given every three weeks, or 1680mg every four weeks. Tecentriq is administered via intravenous (IV) infusion over the course of one hour. However, if the first infusion is tolerated, ubsequent infusions may be given over the course of 30 minutes. Treatment should continue until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

Originally FDA approved in 2016, Tecentriq is also indicated to treat urothelial carcinoma, triple-negative breast cancer, and small cell lung cancer.