For the Treatment of ALK+ mNSCLC
Choose ALUNBRIG^® (brigatinib) for First-Line Efficacy and Long-Term Tolerability^1,2,a

Sarah: 
When patients are first diagnosed with ALK positive, non-small cell lung cancer, they usually feel like the floor just dropped out beneath them, and they don't know what is going to happen next. 

 

Summer: 
I received my ALK positive lung cancer diagnosis in the summer of 2020, and I went from being a caregiver to my 19-year-old son with cerebral palsy to a patient in the blink of an eye, it was answers to months of debilitating shortness of breath and coughing, but it was also a devastating blow to myself and to my family.

Once I received the ALK positive diagnosis, I dove in headfirst and trying, tried to absorb and obtain all information I could get my hands on. I first went to the ALK positive website. From there, I found an ALK positive support group so I could read articles and also hear from other patients living with the disease. 

 

Dr. Vivek: 
ALK positive metastatic non-small cell lung cancer patients are very unique. It is a rare it's a very rare subset of non-small cell lung cancer.

Treatment for metastatic, non-small cell lung cancer, ALK positive patients can be quite diverse. I like to be involved with the shared decision making, where I tell the patient and the family what different treatment approaches that we have for this type of lung cancer, all the different medications, I like to talk to them about, the side effects, take into account their comorbidities, and then, together with the patient and the family, we come to a conclusion of what is the best treatment for them. 

 

Sarah:
When I present ALUNBRIG to my patients, the number one thing that I tell them first is, this is a pill, and most patients are excited about the option to take a once daily pill.

 

Summer: 
My oncologist and nurse practitioner laid the initial groundwork for getting started on ALUNBRIG, but then I also had a phone call with a specialty pharmacist.

 

Sarah: 
When patients begin ALUNBRIG. It's important to make sure that we monitor them very closely, especially in the beginning of their treatment process. So, 48 hours after starting this medication, we will have a visit with the patient. We'll check their blood pressure, and then we see them one week later. We'll continue seeing them on a weekly cadence for the first month after starting their medication. As long as everything is stable, their labs are normal, and their vital signs are also normal. We can move that to about one month.

In my experience, ALUNBRIG has afforded me to be so close to my baseline with minimal side effects. Of course, my labs have to be monitored and scans, but that's with any treatment option. 

 

Sarah: 
For healthcare providers considering ALUNBRIG, I think the top thing to mention is the ease of dosing. This medication can be given once daily, and it's one pill. The second thing, I think, is very important also to mention is the ramp up dosing that this pill has for patients starting this treatment, they take 90 milligrams for the first seven days, and then 180 milligrams moving forward. This also helps patients stay on treatment.

 

Summer:
For patients considering ALUNBRIG, please remember going with eyes wide open ALUNBRIG is such a great treatment option when we have so many different options in the ALK positive landscape.