title: Icotinib: activity and clinical application in Chinese patients with lung cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Icotinib (BPI-2009H, Conmana) is a novel oral quinazoline compound that has proven survival benefit in Chinese patients with lung cancer, for which several therapies are currently available often with unsatisfactory results. Icotinib is the first self-developed small molecular drug in China for targeted therapy of lung cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors' experience in the clinical application of icotinib is reviewed in combination with related publications in the literature. Antitumor activities were observed in non-small-cell lung cancer and others in several recent studies. On 7 June 2011, icotinib was approved by the State Food and Drug Administration of China for the treatment of local advanced or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer based on the results of a nationwide, of 27 centers, randomized, double-blind, double-modulated, parallel-controlled, Phase III trial with single agent icotinib in lung cancer patients after failure of chemotherapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Icotinib is a generic drug. Compared to the other two commercially available EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors, gefitinib and erlotinib, icotinib is similar to them in chemical structure, mechanism of activity and therapeutic effects but less expensive. Better safety as well as a wider therapeutic window has also been proven in several Chinese studies. Future studies on cost effectiveness are warranted.
authors.affiliation: West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Department of Oncology , Chengdu 610041 , China yongsongguan@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Yong-Song
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Mei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D002681:China; D017326:Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic; D043844:Crown Ethers / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004347:Drug Interactions; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011799:Quinazolines / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D043844:Crown Ethers; D011799:Quinazolines; C531470:icotinib; D066246:ErbB Receptors