Afatinib (Giotrif®)
Afatinib is a targeted cancer treatment drug used to treat lung cancer. It may also be referred to by its brand name Giotrif®.
Afatinib works by stopping the growth of certain proteins found in certain types of lung cancer called “tyrosine kinases” and “epidermal growth factor receptor proteins” which cause cancer cells to grow.
NICE do not recommend afatinib as a treatment for brain tumours. However, it is currently being given as part of a clinical trial. You should speak to your healthcare team before making any changes to your treatment or taking new medications.
Afatinib and brain tumours
There is a clinical trial in progress to test whether afatinib could be used in patients with a glioblastoma. The study aims to find out the effects of afatinib, establish the maximum dose that can be given safely and to see whether it effects the growth of cancer cells.
The clinical trial should be completed by December 2020, you can read more about the clinical trial here.
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