Spectrum Pharmaceutecals Inc (SPPI)

[antihama]

How many patients have EGFR exon 20 insertions in NSCLC? SPPI at the last quarterly, indicated between 4000 to 7000 patients or an average of 5500. The conclusion in the article 'EGFR Exon 20 Insertion Mutations in Lung Adenocarcinomas: Prevalence, Molecular Heterogeneity, and Clinicopathologic Characteristics' indicates ‘over 5000 patients’ which makes 5500 patients sound about right so Dr. Raj isn't BSing here.

In conclusion, we find that EGFR exon 20 insertions are a highly heterogeneous family of activating mutations with an incidence that is notably higher than previously reported, placing them as the third most common EGFR mutation after EGFR exon 19 deletions and the L858R point mutation. The high variability identified in these mutations may confer diversity in biologic behavior and response to targeted therapies, arguing against their blanket designation as “non-responsive” mutations. Given the high incidence of lung adenocarcinomas, we estimate that testing could identify over 5000 patients with these mutations every year in the U.S.A alone. Preclinical research and drug development represent unmet needs in this underestimated subgroup of lung cancer patients.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3714231/