title: Ceritinib: A primer for pharmacists.
abstract: Clinical pharmacists are important contributors to the care of patients with cancer; it is therefore critical for oncology clinical pharmacists to stay current with new anticancer therapies. This review summarizes the epidemiology and pathogenesis of non-small cell lung cancer, including the most common genetic alterations, as well as the mechanism of action, clinical development, pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of the anaplastic lymphoma kinase inhibitor ceritinib for the treatment of patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive non-small cell lung cancer. Targeted therapies based on the presence of specific mutations are an important development in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer. However, acquired resistance to the first anaplastic lymphoma kinase-inhibitor approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, crizotinib, is observed in almost half of patients treated with it. Ceritinib is an oral anaplastic lymphoma kinase-inhibitor that has demonstrated more potent antitumor activity than crizotinib in preclinical models. It was granted accelerated approval in 2014 to treat anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive metastatic non-small cell lung cancer patients who have progressed on or are intolerant to crizotinib. Ceritinib represents an important alternative second-line therapy for patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer who have traditionally limited treatment options.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Pharmacotherapy, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.|2 Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
authors.forename: Trang H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Au
authors.affiliation: 2 Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
authors.forename: Courtney C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Cavalieri
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Pharmacotherapy, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.|2 Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
authors.forename: David D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Stenehjem
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010595:Pharmacists / Q000639:trends; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013450:Sulfones / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D011743:Pyrimidines; D013450:Sulfones; C586847:ceritinib
keywords: Ceritinib; anaplastic lymphoma kinase; non-small cell lung cancer