FDA Nod Makes Boehringer Ingelheim Drug an Alternative to AstraZeneca ADC in Lung Cancer

Lung cancer driven by mutated HER2 proteins already has a targeted therapy, the blockbuster product Enhertu from AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo. A Boehringer Ingelheim drug has won FDA approval for the same indication, giving patients a drug choice with easier dosing as well as data indicating better safety and tolerability.

The approval of the Boehringer-Ingelheim drug, zongertinib, covers the treatment of adults with unresectable or metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In addition to having tumors with mutations to HER2, also called ERBB2, patients eligible for treatment must have received at least one prior systemic therapy. Boehringer’s new lung cancer drug, a once-daily tablet, will be marketed under the brand name Hernexeos. The FDA also approved a Thermos F