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dacomitnib
patients with dacomitnib as first line treatment for advanced NSCLC with brain metastasis
Dacomitnib is an irreversible tyrosine kinase inhibitor that blocks EGFR and HER2 signaling pathways. It is approved for non-small cell lung cancer with specific EGFR mutations. Its key differentiator is its irreversible binding mechanism, which provides sustained target inhibition compared to reversible inhibitors.
At a glance
| Generic name | dacomitnib |
|---|---|
| Sponsor | Pfizer Inc. |
| Drug class | patients with dacomitnib as first line treatment for advanced NSCLC with brain metastasis |
| Therapeutic area | Oncology |
| Phase | discontinued |
Mechanism of action
Dacomitnib works by targeting proteins called EGFR and HER2, which sit on the surface of cancer cells and receive growth signals. When these proteins are activated, they tell the cancer cell to grow and divide. Dacomitnib binds permanently to these proteins and locks them in an inactive state, preventing them from sending growth signals. What makes dacomitnib different from some other similar drugs is that its binding is irreversible. Think of it like putting a permanent lock on a switch rather than a temporary one. Once dacomitnib attaches to EGFR or HER2, it stays attached, which means the cancer cells can't escape its effects by producing new proteins or using alternate pathways as quickly. This mechanism is particularly effective in lung cancers that have specific mutations in the EGFR gene. These mutations make cancer cells dependent on EGFR signaling for survival, so blocking it aggressively with an irreversible inhibitor can be especially powerful at stopping tumor growth.
Approved indications
Pipeline indications
- Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung — discontinued
Common side effects
Key clinical trials
- A Study to Learn About Dacomitnib in Patients With Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Which Has Spread to th (discontinued)
- A Study to Learn About Dacomitinib in Patients With Non-small Cell Lung Cancer. (discontinued)
Primary sources
Every claim on this page is sourced from regulatory or scientific primary sources. See our editorial policy for full methodology.
| Source | Used for |
|---|---|
| ClinicalTrials.gov | Trial enrolment, design, endpoints, results |
Competitive intelligence
For the full competitive landscape — auto-detected comparators, recent regulatory actions across the set, upcoming PDUFA, patent timeline, sponsor landscape:
- dacomitnib CI brief — competitive landscape report
- dacomitnib updates RSS · CI watch RSS
- Pfizer Inc. portfolio CI