Combination of Cetuximab With Afatinib for Patient With EGFR Mutated Lung Cancer

Until recently, the first line treatment of metastatic Non Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) was a platine-based chemotherapy. It has been changed by the discovery of EGFR (Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor) mutations and associated treatment with Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor (TKI) of EGFR. The superiority of EGFR TKI over chemotherapy for EGFR mutated patients has been proved in several phase III trials with gefitinib, erlotinib or afatinib.

Nevertheless, all patients will progress after 9 to 12 months of treatment due to the appearance of a treatment resistance.

Afatinib is an irreversible EGFR TKI. It binds to its receptor permanently.Contrary to erlotinib and gefitinb which inhibits only EGFR, afatinib inhibits the kinase activity of all HER family (Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor). Nevertheless, there is no proof that afatinib delay the appearance of resistance.

Cetuximab is a monoclonal antibody which binds specifically with EGFR. The double inhibition of EGFR by afatinib and cetuximab has demonstrated its efficacy in pre-clinical models. The hypothesis of this study is that the combination between cetuximab and afatinib will permit to delay or decrease the appearance of resistances.