Pfizer's lorlatinib cuts intracranial progression risk by 94% in ALK‑positive lung cancer

A seven‑year update of the phase III CROWN trial showed that lorlatinib, used as first‑line therapy for patients with advanced ALK‑positive non‑small cell lung cancer, reduced the risk of intracranial disease progression by 94 % compared with crizotinib. The study reported that 83 % of lorlatinib‑treated patients remained free of brain progression after seven years, and 55 % were free of overall disease progression at the same time point, with median progression‑free survival not yet reached.

Pfizer presented the long‑term results at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting and during a simultaneous Latin American oncology seminar held in Mexico City, São Paulo and Buenos Aires. Luis Suárez, Pfizer’s medical lead for oncology in Latin America, said, "These results allow us to better understand the durability of clinical benefit and provide relevant information for medical decision‑making."

The safety profile of lorlatinib remained consistent, with no new safety signals observed after 30 months of treatment.