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Open Access 15-04-2024 | Ramucirumab | Review
Real-World Effectiveness and Safety of Ramucirumab as a Second-Line Treatment for Patients with Unresectable Advanced or Metastatic Gastric/Gastroesophageal Junction Adenocarcinoma in Japan and South Korea: A Systematic Literature Review
Published in: Advances in Therapy | Issue 6/2024
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Introduction
Gastric cancer has the highest incidence and mortality in Eastern Asia. The efficacy and safety of ramucirumab (RAM) monotherapy or in combination with paclitaxel (PTX) for patients with unresectable advanced or metastatic gastric/gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma (G/GEA) have been established in clinical trials. To assess the effectiveness and safety of RAM or RAM-based therapy as a second-line treatment in real-world clinical practice in Eastern Asia and to pave the way for future research, a systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted.
Methods
Studies published between January 2014 and December 2021 were identified in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wanfang, and CBM databases.
Results
This SLR included 23 studies from Japan and South Korea, of which 22 were retrospective and 11 were full-text articles. Most studies investigated RAM + PTX (range of median overall survival [mOS] 7.4–12.2 months; median progression-free survival [mPFS] 3.35–7.0 months). Data were limited for RAM, RAM + albumin-bound paclitaxel, and RAM + taxane. RAM + PTX was associated with longer survival (mOS 9.3–12.2 months vs. 5.2–9.7 months; mPFS 4.1–5.1 months vs. 3.0–4.1 months) than PTX. Patients with prior anti-programmed cell death 1 (anti-PD-1) exposure experienced longer mPFS (4.8 vs. 3.4 months) from RAM + taxane than those without prior anti-PD-1 exposure. Few patients (3.3–6.3%) discontinued RAM or RAM-based therapy because of adverse events (AEs). Hematological toxicities were most frequently occurring AEs and no new safety signals were identified compared to clinical trials.
Conclusion
RAM + PTX as a second-line treatment is effective and associated with an acceptable toxicity profile in patients with advanced or metastatic G/GEA in real-world settings of Japan and South Korea. More studies are recommended to further evaluate effectiveness and safety of RAM or RAM-based therapy, especially after anti-PD-1 therapy, in a wider Eastern Asian population.
Trial Registration
INPLASY registration number INPLASY2022120023.