https://academic.oup.com/neuro-oncology/article/26/11/1949/7817932Summary:
Brigatinib, a drug approved to treat lung cancer, shows promise in shrinking tumors associated with neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2)-related schwannomatosis, including vestibular schwannomas:
Tumor shrinkage: In a phase 2 trial, brigatinib shrunk 10% of target tumors and 23% of all tumors, including 10 vestibular schwannomas. Meningiomas and nonvestibular schwannomas had the greatest benefit.
Hearing improvement: 35% of eligible ears improved their hearing.
Pain reduction: Patients reported a decrease in self-reported pain severity.
Safety: No grade 4 or 5 treatment-related adverse events were reported.
Mechanism of action: Brigatinib inhibits multiple tyrosine kinases, which causes tumor shrinkage.
Other findings from the trial include:
Annualized growth rates decreased for all tumor types
At 12 months, 77% of tumors with meningiomas and 83% of tumors with nonvestibular schwannomas did not progress
The most common adverse events were diarrhea, nausea, muscle cramps, increased LDH, increased AST, and increased ALT
