A Phase II Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Oral Ceritinib in Patients With ALK-positive NSCLC Metastatic to the Brain and/or to Leptomeninges
CompletedPhase 2Results postedLast updated 21 April 2020
What this trial tests
Phase 2 trial testing Ceritinib in ALK-positive Non-small Cell Lung Cancer in 156 participants. Completed in 6 February 2019.
18 and older, any sex, with ALK-positive Non-small Cell Lung Cancer. Patients with the condition only — healthy volunteers not accepted.
Results — posted to ClinicalTrials.gov
Per-arm endpoint measurements with 95% confidence intervals where reported. Source: trial results section.
Overall Response Rate (ORR) Per Investigator AssessmentPrimary· 43 months
Overall response rate (ORR) is defined as the percentage of participants with a best overall confirmed response of complete response (CR) or partial response (PR) in the whole body as assessed per RECIST 1.1 by the investigator. CR: Disappearance of all non-nodal target and non-target lesions. In addition, all lymph nodes assigned a target or a non-target lesions must be non-pathological in size (\< 10 mm short axis), and no new lesion is identified. PR: When all target lesions have disappeared or there is a decrease by at least 30% in the sum of diameter of all target lesions (taking as refer
Group
Value
95% CI
Arm 1 (PrALKi=Y, PrBRad=Y)
35.7
21.6 – 52.0
Arm 2 (PrALKi=Y, PrBRad=N)
30.0
16.6 – 46.5
Arm 3 (PrALKi=N, PrBRad=Y)
50.0
21.1 – 78.9
Arm 4 (PrALKi=N, PrBRad=N)
59.1
43.2 – 73.7
Arm 5 (LepDis)
16.7
3.6 – 41.4
Disease Control Rate (DCR) Per Investigator AssessmentSecondary· 43 months
DCR: percentage of parts. with best overall response of CR, PR or stable disease (SD) in the whole body, as assessed per RECIST 1.1 by investigator. CR: Disappearance of all non-nodal target and non-target lesions. In addition, all lymph nodes assigned a target or a non-target lesions must be non-pathological in size (\< 10 mm short axis), \& no new lesion is identified. PR: When all target lesions have disappeared or there is a decrease by at least 30% in the sum of diameter of all target lesions (taking as reference the baseline sum of diameters) is observed and non-target lesions are not in
Group
Value
95% CI
Arm 1 (PrALKi=Y, PrBRad=Y)
66.7
50.5 – 80.4
Arm 2 (PrALKi=Y, PrBRad=N)
82.5
67.2 – 92.7
Arm 3 (PrALKi=N, PrBRad=Y)
66.7
34.9 – 90.1
Arm 4 (PrALKi=N, PrBRad=N)
70.5
54.8 – 83.2
Arm 5 (LepDis)
66.7
41.0 – 86.7
Overall Intracranial Response Rate (OIRR) Per Modified RECIST 1.1 Per Investigator AssessmentSecondary· 43 months
OIRR was calculated based on response assessments in the brain for patients having measurable brain metastases at baseline. OIRR was defined as the percentage of participants with a best overall confirmed response of CR or PR in the brain as assessed per modified RECIST 1.1. This was applied to the brain only. CR: Disappearance of all non-nodal target \& non-target lesions. All lymph nodes assigned a target or a non-target lesions must be non-pathological in size (\< 10 mm short axis), \& no new lesion is identified. PR: When all target lesions have disappeared or decreased by at least 30% in
Group
Value
95% CI
Arm 1 (PrALKi=Y, PrBRad=Y)
39.3
21.5 – 59.4
Arm 2 (PrALKi=Y, PrBRad=N)
27.6
12.7 – 47.2
Arm 3 (PrALKi=N, PrBRad=Y)
28.6
3.7 – 71.0
Arm 4 (PrALKi=N, PrBRad=N)
51.5
33.5 – 69.2
Arm 5 (LepDis)
12.5
0.3 – 52.7
Overall Intracranial Response Rate (OIRR) Per Modified RECIST 1.1 Per Blinded Independent Review Committee (BIRC) AssessmentSecondary· 43 months
OIRR was calculated based on response assessments in the brain for patients having measurable brain metastases at baseline. OIRR was defined as the percentage of participants with a best overall confirmed response of CR or PR in the brain as assessed per modified RECIST 1.1. This was applied to the brain only. CR: Disappearance of all non-nodal target \& non-target lesions. All lymph nodes assigned a target or a non-target lesions must be non-pathological in size (\< 10 mm short axis), \& no new lesion is identified. PR: When all target lesions have disappeared or decreased by at least 30% in
Group
Value
95% CI
Arm 1 (PrALKi=Y, PrBRad=Y)
33.3
17.3 – 52.8
Arm 2 (PrALKi=Y, PrBRad=N)
24.1
10.3 – 43.5
Arm 3 (PrALKi=N, PrBRad=Y)
33.3
4.3 – 77.7
Arm 4 (PrALKi=N, PrBRad=N)
58.8
40.7 – 75.4
Arm 5 (LepDis)
20.0
2.5 – 55.6
Intracranial Disease Control Rate (IDCR) Per Modified RECIST 1.1 Per Investigator Assessment at Weeks 8 & 16Secondary· Week 8 and Week 16
IDCR overall: percentage of participants with a best overall response of CR, PR, SD or non-CR/non-PD in the brain, as assessed per modified RECIST 1.1 by the Investigator. This was applied to the brain only. CR: Disappearance of all non-nodal target \& non-target lesions. All lymph nodes assigned a target or a non-target lesions must be non-pathological in size (\< 10 mm short axis), \& no new lesion is identified. PR: When all target lesions have disappeared or there is a decrease by at least 30% in the sum of diameter of all target lesions (taking as reference the baseline sum of diameters)
IDCR at Week 8
Group
Value
95% CI
Arm 1 (PrALKi=Y, PrBRad=Y)
71.4
55.4 – 84.3
Arm 2 (PrALKi=Y, PrBRad=N)
75.0
58.8 – 87.3
Arm 3 (PrALKi=N, PrBRad=Y)
58.3
27.7 – 84.8
Arm 4 (PrALKi=N, PrBRad=N)
68.2
52.4 – 81.4
Arm 5 (LepDis)
66.7
41.0 – 86.7
IDCR at Week 16
Group
Value
95% CI
Arm 1 (PrALKi=Y, PrBRad=Y)
59.5
43.3 – 74.4
Arm 2 (PrALKi=Y, PrBRad=N)
62.5
45.8 – 77.3
Arm 3 (PrALKi=N, PrBRad=Y)
58.3
27.7 – 84.8
Arm 4 (PrALKi=N, PrBRad=N)
65.9
50.1 – 79.5
Arm 5 (LepDis)
50.0
26.0 – 74.0
Intracranial Disease Control Rate (IDCR) Per Modified RECIST 1.1 Per Investigator Assessment - OverallSecondary· 43 months
IDCR overall: percentage of participants with a best overall response of CR, PR, SD or non-CR/non-PD in the brain, as assessed per modified RECIST 1.1 by the Investigator. This was applied to the brain only. CR: Disappearance of all non-nodal target \& non-target lesions. All lymph nodes assigned a target or a non-target lesions must be non-pathological in size (\< 10 mm short axis), \& no new lesion is identified. PR: When all target lesions have disappeared or there is a decrease by at least 30% in the sum of diameter of all target lesions (taking as reference the baseline sum of diameters)
Group
Value
95% CI
Arm 1 (PrALKi=Y, PrBRad=Y)
71.4
55.4 – 84.3
Arm 2 (PrALKi=Y, PrBRad=N)
85.0
70.2 – 94.3
Arm 3 (PrALKi=N, PrBRad=Y)
75.0
42.8 – 94.5
Arm 4 (PrALKi=N, PrBRad=N)
75.0
59.7 – 86.8
Arm 5 (LepDis)
66.7
41.0 – 86.7
Intracranial Disease Control Rate (IDCR) Per Modified RECIST 1.1 Per BIRC Assessment at Weeks 8 & 16Secondary· Week 8 and Week 16
IDCR overall: percentage of participants with a best overall response of CR, PR, SD or non-CR/non-PD in the brain, as assessed per modified RECIST 1.1 by Investigator. This was applied to the brain only. CR: Disappearance of all non-nodal target \& non-target lesions. All lymph nodes assigned a target or a non-target lesions must be non-pathological in size (\< 10 mm short axis), \& no new lesion is identified. PR: When all target lesions have disappeared or there is a decrease by at least 30% in the sum of diameter of all target lesions (taking as reference the baseline sum of diameters) is o
IDCR at 8 weeks
Group
Value
95% CI
Arm 1 (PrALKi=Y, PrBRad=Y)
76.2
60.5 – 87.9
Arm 2 (PrALKi=Y, PrBRad=N)
80.0
64.4 – 90.9
Arm 3 (PrALKi=N, PrBRad=Y)
58.3
27.7 – 84.8
Arm 4 (PrALKi=N, PrBRad=N)
68.2
52.4 – 81.4
Arm 5 (LepDis)
66.7
41.0 – 86.7
IDCR at 16 weeks
Group
Value
95% CI
Arm 1 (PrALKi=Y, PrBRad=Y)
69.0
52.9 – 82.4
Arm 2 (PrALKi=Y, PrBRad=N)
62.5
45.8 – 77.3
Arm 3 (PrALKi=N, PrBRad=Y)
58.3
27.7 – 84.8
Arm 4 (PrALKi=N, PrBRad=N)
68.2
52.4 – 81.4
Arm 5 (LepDis)
38.9
17.3 – 64.3
Intracranial Disease Control Rate (IDCR) Per Modified RECIST 1.1 Per BIRC Assessment - OverallSecondary· 43 months
IDCR overall: percentage of participants with a best overall response of CR, PR, SD or non-CR/non-PD in the brain, as assessed per modified RECIST 1.1 by Investigator. This was applied to the brain only. CR: Disappearance of all non-nodal target \& non-target lesions. All lymph nodes assigned a target or a non-target lesions must be non-pathological in size (\< 10 mm short axis), \& no new lesion is identified. PR: When all target lesions have disappeared or there is a decrease by at least 30% in the sum of diameter of all target lesions (taking as reference the baseline sum of diameters) is o
Group
Value
95% CI
Arm 1 (PrALKi=Y, PrBRad=Y)
73.8
58.0 – 86.1
Arm 2 (PrALKi=Y, PrBRad=N)
85.0
70.2 – 94.3
Arm 3 (PrALKi=N, PrBRad=Y)
66.7
34.9 – 90.1
Arm 4 (PrALKi=N, PrBRad=N)
75.0
59.7 – 86.8
Arm 5 (LepDis)
66.7
41.0 – 86.7
Time to Intracranial Tumor Response (TTIR) Per Modified RECIST 1.1 Per Investigator AssessmentSecondary· 43 months
TTIR was defined as the time from the date of the first dose of ceritinib to the date of the first documented response (CR or PR) in the brain as assessed per modified RECIST 1.1 criteria for patients with measurable brain metastases at baseline. This was applied to the brain only. CR: Disappearance of all non-nodal target and non-target lesions. In addition, all lymph nodes assigned a target or a non-target lesions must be non-pathological in size (\< 10 mm short axis), and no new lesion is identified. PR: When all target lesions have disappeared or there is a decrease by at least 30% in the
Group
Value
95% CI
Arm 1 (PrALKi=Y, PrBRad=Y)
1.87
1.7 – 7.5
Arm 2 (PrALKi=Y, PrBRad=N)
1.84
1.6 – 9.1
Arm 3 (PrALKi=N, PrBRad=Y)
3.56
1.8 – 5.3
Arm 4 (PrALKi=N, PrBRad=N)
1.77
1.3 – 7.4
Arm 5 (LepDis)
1.80
1.8 – 1.8
Time to Intracranial Tumor Response (TTIR) Per Modified RECIST 1.1 Per BIRC AssessmentSecondary· 43 months
TTIR was defined as the time from the date of the first dose of ceritinib to the date of the first documented response (CR or PR) in the brain as assessed per modified RECIST 1.1 criteria for patients with measurable brain metastases at baseline. This was applied to the brain only. CR: Disappearance of all non-nodal target and non-target lesions. In addition, all lymph nodes assigned a target or a non-target lesions must be non-pathological in size (\< 10 mm short axis), and no new lesion is identified. PR: When all target lesions have disappeared or there is a decrease by at least 30% in the
Group
Value
95% CI
Arm 1 (PrALKi=Y, PrBRad=Y)
1.91
1.7 – 5.6
Arm 2 (PrALKi=Y, PrBRad=N)
1.68
1.6 – 7.2
Arm 3 (PrALKi=N, PrBRad=Y)
6.31
3.5 – 9.1
Arm 4 (PrALKi=N, PrBRad=N)
1.81
1.3 – 9.2
Arm 5 (LepDis)
1.22
0.7 – 1.8
Duration of Intracranial Response (DOIR) by Modified RECIST 1.1 Per Investigator AssessmentSecondary· 43 months
Defined as the time from the first documented response (PR or CR) in the brain to the date of the first documented disease progression in the brain or death due to any cause, amongst participants with measurable brain metastases at baseline and a confirmed response (PR or CR) in the brain as per modified RECIST 1.1. This was applied to the brain only. CR: Disappearance of all non-nodal target and non-target lesions. In addition, all lymph nodes assigned a target or a non-target lesions must be non-pathological in size (\< 10 mm short axis), and no new lesion is identified. PR: When all target
Group
Value
95% CI
Arm 1 (PrALKi=Y, PrBRad=Y)
9.2
3.7 – NA
Arm 2 (PrALKi=Y, PrBRad=N)
10.1
3.8 – 17.3
Arm 3 (PrALKi=N, PrBRad=Y)
NA
NA – NA
Arm 4 (PrALKi=N, PrBRad=N)
7.5
5.6 – 11.2
Arm 5 (LepDis)
5.5
NA – NA
Duration of Intracranial Response (DOIR) by Modified RECIST 1.1 Per BIRC AssessmentSecondary· 43 months
Defined as the time from the first documented response (PR or CR) in the brain to the date of the first documented disease progression in the brain or death due to any cause, amongst participants with measurable brain metastases at baseline and a confirmed response (PR or CR) in the brain as per modified RECIST 1.1. CR: Disappearance of all non-nodal target and non-target lesions. In addition, all lymph nodes assigned a target or a non-target lesions must be non-pathological in size (\< 10 mm short axis), and no new lesion is identified. PR: When all target lesions have disappeared or there is
Group
Value
95% CI
Arm 1 (PrALKi=Y, PrBRad=Y)
11.0
3.8 – NA
Arm 2 (PrALKi=Y, PrBRad=N)
4.6
3.5 – 20.3
Arm 3 (PrALKi=N, PrBRad=Y)
NA
18.4 – NA
Arm 4 (PrALKi=N, PrBRad=N)
9.2
5.7 – 11.3
Arm 5 (LepDis)
3.4
2.0 – 4.7
Adverse events — posted to ClinicalTrials.gov
Time frame: Adverse events were collected from first dose of study treatment until end of study treatment plus 30 days post treatment, up to maximum duration of approx. 168 weeks..
Reporting threshold: 5%.
Adverse-event reports describe events observed during the trial — not all are caused by the drug.
Arm 1 (PrALKi=Y, PrBRad=Y)
Serious: 28/42 (67%)
Deaths: 8/42
Arm 2 (PrALKi=Y, PrBRad=N)
Serious: 17/40 (43%)
Deaths: 5/40
Arm 3 (PrALKi=N, PrBRad=Y)
Serious: 4/12 (33%)
Deaths: 3/12
Arm 4 (PrALKi=N, PrBRad=N)
Serious: 15/44 (34%)
Deaths: 6/44
Arm 5 (LepDis)
Serious: 11/18 (61%)
Deaths: 9/18
All Participants
Serious: 75/156 (48%)
Deaths: 31/156
Serious adverse events (81 terms)
Reaction
System
Arm 1 (PrALKi=Y, PrBRad=Y)
Arm 2 (PrALKi=Y, PrBRad=N)
Arm 3 (PrALKi=N, PrBRad=Y)
Arm 4 (PrALKi=N, PrBRad=N)
Arm 5 (LepDis)
All Participants
Pneumonia
Infections and infestations
—
—
—
—
—
—
Hyperglycaemia
Metabolism and nutrition disorders
—
—
—
—
—
—
Seizure
Nervous system disorders
—
—
—
—
—
—
Pericarditis
Cardiac disorders
—
—
—
—
—
—
Pericardial effusion
Cardiac disorders
—
—
—
—
—
—
Pyrexia
General disorders
—
—
—
—
—
—
Epilepsy
Nervous system disorders
—
—
—
—
—
—
Dyspnoea
Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders
—
—
—
—
—
—
Tachycardia
Cardiac disorders
—
—
—
—
—
—
Disease progression
General disorders
—
—
—
—
—
—
Non-cardiac chest pain
General disorders
—
—
—
—
—
—
Sudden death
General disorders
—
—
—
—
—
—
Hyponatraemia
Metabolism and nutrition disorders
—
—
—
—
—
—
Aphasia
Nervous system disorders
—
—
—
—
—
—
Dysarthria
Nervous system disorders
—
—
—
—
—
—
Confusional state
Psychiatric disorders
—
—
—
—
—
—
Pleural effusion
Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders
—
—
—
—
—
—
Pulmonary embolism
Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders
—
—
—
—
—
—
Respiratory failure
Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders
—
—
—
—
—
—
Lymphadenopathy
Blood and lymphatic system disorders
—
—
—
—
—
—
Atrial fibrillation
Cardiac disorders
—
—
—
—
—
—
Left ventricular dysfunction
Cardiac disorders
—
—
—
—
—
—
Keratitis
Eye disorders
—
—
—
—
—
—
Abdominal pain
Gastrointestinal disorders
—
—
—
—
—
—
Nausea
Gastrointestinal disorders
—
—
—
—
—
—
Other adverse events (132 terms — click to expand)
This was a phase II, multi-center, open-label, five-arm study in which the efficacy and safety of oral ceritinib treatment was assessed in patients with NSCLC metastatic to the brain and/or to leptomeninges harboring a confirmed ALK rearrangement, using the FDA approved Vysis ALK Break Apart FISH Probe Kit (Abbott Molecular Inc.) test and scoring algorithm (including positivity criteria). If documentation of ALK rearrangement as described above was not locally available, a test to confirm ALK rearrangement was performed by a Novartis designated central laboratory. Patients waited for the central laboratory result of the ALK rearrangement status before initiating treatment with ceritinib.
Publications & conference data
8 peer-reviewed publications reference this trial (live from Europe PMC):
NCT06813079 — Using Tumor Models to Determine Treatments
· Phase 2
· not yet recruiting
NCT03784014 — Molecular Profiling of Advanced Soft-tissue Sarcomas
· Phase 3
· active not recruiting
NCT03737994 — Targeted Treatment for ALK Positive Patients Who Have Previously Been Treated for Non-squamous Non-small Cell Lung Cance
· Phase 2
· active not recruiting
NCT03546894 — A Study to Determine Progression-free Survival (PFS) and Evaluate Participant Experience for Participants With Metastati
· completed
NCT03501368 — Study of Trametinib + Ceritinib in Patients With Unresectable Melanoma
· Phase 1
· completed
Other recruiting trials for ALK-positive Non-small Cell Lung Cancer
Currently open trials in the same condition.
NCT07491497 — A Phase 1/2 Study of TRI-611 in ALK-Positive NSCLC
· Phase 1, PHASE2
· recruiting
NCT06361589 — Real World Study of Lolatinib for Advanced ALK+ NSCLC Patients
· recruiting
NCT04900935 — Patient-centered, Optimal Integration of Survivorship and Palliative Care
· NA
· recruiting
NCT06410040 — A Retrospective Study of the Efficacy and Safety of Lolatinib in ALK+ NSCLC Patients With Brain or Meningeal Metastasis
· active not recruiting
Other Novartis Pharmaceuticals trials
Trials by the same sponsor.
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· Phase 3
· not yet recruiting
NCT07489573 — Study of Efficacy and Safety of Secukinumab in Chinese Adult Patients With Moderate to Severe Hidradenitis Suppurativa
· Phase 4
· not yet recruiting
NCT07484269 — PULSE Registry: for Patients Receiving Lutetium (177Lu) Vipivotide Tetraxetan
· not yet recruiting
NCT07416162 — A Study of Iptacopan in Korean Patients With Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria or C3 Glomerulopathy
· not yet recruiting
NCT07387926 — Safety and Efficacy of Asciminib in Pediatrics and Young Adults With Relapse/Refractory (r/r) Philadelphia Positive (Ph+
· Phase 1, PHASE2
· not yet recruiting
Publications: Europe PMC API search by NCT ID, retrieved 10 June 2026
Drug + disease cross-links: matched in real time against Drug Landscape's normalised drug + company + condition tables
Sponsor: as reported to ClinicalTrials.gov by Novartis Pharmaceuticals
Last refreshed: 21 April 2020
Drug Landscape aggregates and links these public records for informational use only. Always verify against the primary source before clinical or regulatory decisions. Canonical URL: https://druglandscape.com/trial/NCT02336451.