Afatinib and lung cancer

Epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKI) have an established role in the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). First-generation reversible ATP-competitive EGFR-TKIs are approved for the initial treatment of patients with EGFR mutation-positive advanced NSCLC. Afatinib is an irreversible second-generation EGFR-TKI with potent preclinical activity against EGFR (wild type and mutant), HER2, HER4 and EGFR-mutant NSCLC with acquired resistance to reversible EGFR-TKI. LUX-Lung 3 trial demonstrated superiority of afatinib to cisplatin and pemetrexed in the frontline treatment of treatment-naïve patients with advanced adenocarcinoma of the lung and EGFR mutation. Based on these results, afatinib was recently approved for the first-line treatment of NSCLC patients with EGFR mutation. This article summarizes current status of preclinical and clinical development of afatinib in NSCLC.