Is Capmatinib Effective in Treatment?

Capmatinib inhibits c-Met, a type of tyrosine kinase that plays a role in embryonic development, organ formation and wound healing, but is also involved in the initiation and progression of cancer.

Is Capmatinib Effective in Treatment?

Capmatinib was approved for medical use in the United States in May 2020, with the FoundationOne CDx assay approved concomitantly as its companion diagnostic.

Its efficacy was demonstrated in the GEOMETRY mono-1 trial. This was a multicenter, non-randomized, open-label, multi-cohort study (trial number: NCT02414139), which enrolled a total of 334 participants with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) confirmed to have MET exon 14 skipping alterations. Some participants had received prior cancer treatment while others were treatment-naive. Participants were administered 400 mg of capmatinib orally twice daily until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity occurred. Efficacy was evaluated based on the results of 97 of these participants. The trial was conducted at 92 sites across the United States, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Lebanon, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, Taiwan and the United Kingdom.

In April 2022, the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) adopted a positive opinion, recommending the granting of a marketing authorization for the medicinal product Capmatinib, indicated for the treatment of adult patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer harbouring alterations that lead to MET exon 14 skipping. The applicant for this medicinal product is Novartis Europharm Limited.  Capmatinib was approved for medical use in the European Union in September 2022.

What Side Effects May Be Caused by Capmatinib?

If you experience any of the following side effects, inform your medical team as soon as possible: allergic reactions such as skin rash, itching, hives, and swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat; dry cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing; symptoms related to liver damage including pain in the upper right abdomen, loss of appetite, nausea, pale stools, dark yellow or brown urine, yellowing of the skin or eyes, and unusual weakness or fatigue; signs of pancreatitis such as severe stomach pain radiating to the back or worsening with eating or touching, accompanied by fever, nausea and vomiting.

In addition, some side effects that usually do not require medical intervention—such as bone pain, fatigue, loss of appetite, muscle pain, photophobia, and swelling of the ankles, feet or hands—should also be reported to your medical team if they persist or cause distress. Please note that this list may not include all possible side effects, and you should consult your doctor for medical advice regarding side effects.

How Should Capmatinib Be Stored?

1. Keep it out of the reach of children and pets.

2. Store it at room temperature between 20°C and 25°C (68°F and 77°F). Keep the medication in its original container. Protect it from moisture. Keep the container tightly closed. Do not discard the desiccant packet inside the container, as it is used to keep the medication dry. Discard any unused medication 6 weeks after opening the container.