Ripretinib appears safe, effective in KIT-altered metastatic melanoma

Ripretinib, a broad-spectrum KIT and platelet-derived growth factor receptor A switch-control tyrosine kinase inhibitor, was found to be safe and effective in patients with KIT-altered metastatic melanoma, according to trial results.

In this study, 26 patients with KIT-altered metastatic melanoma were treated with 150 mg once daily ripretinib in 28-day cycles. Prior therapies included immunotherapy in 23 patients and KIT inhibitor therapy in 9 patients.

Confirmed objective response rate (ORR) was 23% with a median duration of response of 9.1 months and median progression-free survival (mPFS) of 7.3 months.

Patients who had not had previous prior KIT inhibitor therapy had a higher ORR and longer mPFS than patients who had received previous treatment with KIT inhibitors.

The most common treatment-related treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) of any grade in ≥15% of patients were increased lipase, alopecia, actinic keratosis, myalgia, arthralgia, decreased appetite, fatigue, hyperkeratosis, nausea, and palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome.

Reference
Janku F, Bauer S, Shoumariyeh K, et al. Efficacy and safety of ripretinib in patients with KIT-altered metastatic melanoma. ESMO Open. 2022;7(4):100520. doi: 10.1016/j.esmoop.2022.100520. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35753087.