Introduction: V-raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B1 (BRAF) inhibitors are emerging as the standard of care for treating advanced melanomas harboring the BRAF V600 oncogenic mutation. Dabrafenib is the second approved selective BRAF inhibitor (after vemurafenib) for the treatment of unresectable or metastatic BRAF V600-positive melanoma.
Areas covered: This review covers the current data on the efficacy and safety of the selective BRAF inhibitor dabrafenib in patients with metastatic BRAF V600 positive melanoma. The pharmacological, safety and efficacy data are discussed from Phase I, II, and III studies of dabrafenib monotherapy as well as in combination with the MEK inhibitor trametinib.
Expert opinion: Dabrafenib has demonstrated comparable efficacy to vemurafenib in BRAF V600E mutant melanoma patients. Dabrafenib is well tolerated in patients with metastatic melanoma, including patients with brain metastases. Nevertheless side effects are common, but usually manageable. In the Phase III study testing dabrafenib, 53% of patients reported grade 2 or higher adverse events (AEs). Toxicities were similar to those seen in the early-phase trials, with the most common being cutaneous manifestations (hyperkeratosis, papillomas, palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia), pyrexia, fatigue, headache, and arthralgia. Combining a BRAF inhibitor with a MEK inhibitor, which may block paradoxical MAPK activation in BRAF wild type (skin) cells, may lower the incidence of squamoproliferative eruptions.
Keywords: adverse events; dabrafenib; melanoma; v-raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B1 inhibitor.