Lorlatinib (Lorbrena)

CADTH recommends that Lorbrena should be reimbursed by public drug plans for the treatment of adult patients with ALK-positive locally advanced or metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) if certain conditions are met. Lorbrena should only be covered to treat adult patients with ALK-positive NSCLC who are diagnosed when their cancer has spread to lymph nodes (locally advanced disease) or other parts of the body (metastatic disease) and who have had no prior systemic treatment for advanced or metastatic NSCLC. Lorbrena should only be reimbursed by public drug plans when used as a single drug. It should be prescribed by an oncologist with experience in the treatment of ALK-positive NSCLC although thereafter it can be given in an outpatient clinic by the patient’s health care team. The cost of Lorbrena should not be higher than the cost of treatment with alectinib or brigatinib for these patients.