UCSF

In 2021, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved two drugs targeting exon 20 directly: amivantamab and mobocertinib, under the accelerated approval pathway, for adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon 20 insertion mutations, whose disease has progressed on or after platinum-based chemotherapy. Here we discuss questions regarding the core question of an "unmet need" within the accelerated approval pathway, contending that equipoise remain between the new compounds and previously existing options. Second, the NCCN's guidelines are currently recommending to sequence both drugs, a recommendation that is not based on any data. Last, post-marketing requirements may not shed clarity in the setting of these approvals. Our analysis has implications beyond patients with exon 20 insertion. In an era with growing identification of new and rarer molecular entities, misguided incorporation of new compounds into practice may obstruct trial enrollment in decisive clinical trials.