What is Zykadia used for?

Medically reviewed by Philip Thornton, DipPharm. Last updated on Sep 20, 2024.

Official answer

by Drugs.com

Zykadia (ceritinib) is a medication used to treat adults with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that has spread (metastasized) and whose tumors test positive for anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK).

Mutations in the ALK gene, which provides the code for making a protein called ALK receptor tyrosine kinase, are found in approximately 5 percent of all lung cancers, including 30 percent of all lung cancers diagnosed in patients aged less than 40 years old.

Mutations in the ALK gene were originally found in people with lymphoma, but many of the ALK-positive cancers diagnosed are now found in patients with NSCLC.

The ALK gene plays a role in the development of the nervous system and gut. It is turned off before birth, but in some people the gene is later turned back on and fuses with other genes, such as EML4, which results in an ALK rearrangement or fusion that can cause ALK-positive cancers.

Zykadia is a kinase inhibitor.

References

Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Zykadia. [Accessed October 1, 2021]. Available from: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2021/211225s003lbl.pdf.
MedlinePlus. ALK gene. ALK receptor tyrosine kinase. [Accessed October 1, 2021]. Available from: https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/gene/alk/.
ALK Positive. What is ALK-Positive Lung Cancer? [Accessed October 1, 2021]. Available from: https://www.alkpositive.org/what-is-alk.
Zhang X, Zhang S, Yang X, et al. Fusion of EML4 and ALK is associated with development of lung adenocarcinomas lacking EGFR and KRAS mutations and is correlated with ALK expression. Mol Cancer. 2010;9:188. Published 2010 Jul 13. doi:10.1186/1476-4598-9-188.
American Lung Association (ALA). ALK and Lung Cancer. August 20, 2021. [Accessed October 1, 2021]. Available from: https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/lung-cancer/symptoms-diagnosis/biomarker-testing/alk-lung-cancer.

Is Zykadia a chemotherapy drug and how does it work?

Zykadia (ceritinib) is a chemotherapy drug used to treat a certain type of lung cancer called ALK (anaplastic lymphoma kinase)-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Zykadia is a kinase inhibitor that works primarily by blocking the ALK receptor tyrosine kinase, which is why it is used to treat ALK-positive NSCLC. Continue reading

Is small cell or non-small cell lung cancer worse?

Generally, small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is worse than non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). SCLC accounts for about 10-15% of people who have lung cancer and is the most aggressive form of lung cancer. SCLC usually starts in the breathing tubes (bronchi), and although the cells are small, they grow very quickly and create large tumors. Early on in the course of the disease, there are rarely any symptoms. If caught early (limited-stage disease) 20-25% of people can be potentially cured. Extensive SCLC is more difficult to treat. Continue reading

Is non-small cell lung cancer hereditary?

A hereditary family history of lung cancer is one of the many risk factors for developing non-small cell lung cancer. About 8% of lung cancers are thought to be inherited or linked to gene changes, but smoking and air pollution remain the primary causes of lung cancer. Continue reading

Drug information

Zykadia Information for Consumers
Zykadia prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
Side Effects of Zykadia (detailed)

Related support groups

Zykadia (2 questions, 3 members)
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (53 questions, 73 members)

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