Next-generation KRAS G12C inhibitor elisrasib elicited promising response rates in patients with advanced lung cancer Treatment with the investigational next-generation KRAS-G12C inhibitor elisrasib showed clinical benefit in patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumors carried a KRAS G12C mutation and had progressed after prior therapies, according to findings presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2026. The study, led by Byoung Chul Cho, MD, Ph.D., a professor at Yonsei University College of Medicine, highlighted the drug’s potential to address limitations of earlier treatments. The KRAS G12C mutation is the most common alteration in NSCLC, and two first-generation inhibitors—sotorasib (Lumakras) and adagrasib (Krazati)—have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for this patient group. However, these drugs only benefit about 30% of patients, with half experiencing disease progression within six months. Safety concerns also persist, prompting research into next-generation inhibitors like elisrasib. Elisrasib works by selectively binding to the mutant KRAS G12C protein, locking it in an inactive state to block its oncogenic activity. Unlike earlier inhibitors, elisrasib was designed for faster and stronger target engagement, potentially leading to sustained inhibition. The drug is currently being tested in an ongoing phase I/II trial for KRAS G12C-mutant solid tumors, with early data from a subgroup of NSCLC patients showing encouraging results. In patients who had not previously received KRAS G12C inhibitor therapy (naive), the median follow-up was 11.3 months, while those with prior resistance had a median follow-up of 10.6 months.#fda #american_association_for_cancer_research #yonsei_university_college_of_medicine #kras_g12c #elisrasib
