Treating advanced non-small-cell lung cancer in Chinese patients: focus on icotinib

Jun-Li Liang,1 Xiao-Cang Ren,2 Qiang Lin2 1Department of Radiation Oncology, Hebei Medical University Fourth Hospital, Shijiazhuang, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Oncology, North China Petroleum Bureau General Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Renqiu, Hebei Province, People’s Republic of China Abstract: Icotinib hydrochloride is an orally administered small-molecule reversible tyrosine kinase inhibitor that has been independently researched and developed and has independent intellectual property rights in the People’s Republic of China. Clinical trials have demonstrated that the response to icotinib among advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who received at least one platinum-based chemotherapy regimen was not inferior to gefitinib. Since being launched August 2011 in the People’s Republic of China, icotinib has been widely used in clinics, and has become an important treatment option for Chinese patients with advanced NSCLC. The present study presents the Phase I, II, and III clinical trials of icotinib and discusses current clinical applications in the People’s Republic of China and future research directions. Keywords: targeted therapy, EGFR-TKI, NSCLC