“Survival and Beyond” gathers Lung cancer experts in the UAE to discuss the targeted therapies in the fight against Lung Cancer disease

Innovative targeted treatment for non-small-cell lung cancer aims to improve the quality of life of UAE patients 

• Patients with EGFR-mutation positive lung cancer in the UAE can now benefit from a new targeted treatment option
• New treatment shown to delay tumour progression and improve disease-related symptoms versus standard chemotherapy - median overall survival benefit reached 33.3 months with the new treatment versus 21.1 months for chemotherapy in the same mutation.1
• Boehringer Ingelheim launches a new treatment for EGFR-mutation positive lung cancer, offering patients a significant overall survival benefit

Dubai, UAE, 30th November 2015 - Cancer experts from across the Gulf gathered this weekend to discuss the latest weapon available in the fight against lung cancer. The meeting entitled Survival and Beyond was held at the Sofitel Downtown, Dubai, and provided a platform for specialists from the UAE and Qatar to share best practice.

Globally, lung cancer is one of the most common cancer in the world. In the UAE, it causes more deaths per year than the combined mortality rates of breast, colorectal, and breast cancer.2

Chairman of the Survival and Beyond meeting Dr Mohammed Jaloudi, Chief of Medical Oncology, Tawam Hospital, Al Ain, UAE, said unfortunately the incidence rate of lung cancer is increasing across the Emirates. “The increase we see is due to many factors such as aging, continued population growth, and widespread smoking habits,” Dr Jaloudi said. “The majority of patients are men; this is because it is less socially acceptable for women to smoke here in the UAE - so their risk of developing lung cancer is greatly reduced,” he added.

Dr Jaloudi explained that there are two types of lung cancer - non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small-cell lung cancer - with NSCLC accounting for around 85 per cent of all cases.3 NSCLC is further characterized by different subtypes, of which Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) mutations is one.

A first-of-its-kind therapy has recently become available in the UAE to target EGFR mutations NSCLC. In trials, the new therapy from Boehringer Ingelheim - one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies - was shown to offer patients with this type of lung cancer a significant delay in tumour progression, coupled with improvements in their lung cancer related symptoms, such as shortness of breath, cough and chest pain, and quality of life.4,5 in addition to median overall survival benefit.

World lung cancer expert Dr. Filippo de Maranis, Director of Thoracic Oncology Division, European Institute of Oncology (IEO), Milan, Italy, who was a guest presenter at Survival and Beyond, explained that conventional treatments for lung cancer, like chemotherapy, effect healthy cells as well as the cancer cells and are often associated with side-effects.

“The side effects many people experience from conventional treatments, such as nausea and vomiting, hair loss, and suppression of the immune system can lead to serious complications and significant loss of quality of life,” he said.

“This new treatment has a unique mode of action that allows it to target just the cancer cells and block EGFR and other members of the ErB Family of receptors that are responsible for the growth and spread of the cancer,” Dr. de Maranis said.

Early testing to see if a patient with NSCLC could benefit from treatment with the new therapy, is important, explained Dr. de Maranis. “Targeted therapies are essential in the treatment of distinct subtypes of non-small-cell lung can and the earlier treatment starts the better,” he said. 

“We suggest early mutation testing for EGFR is a crucial step in the treatment-decision pathway, to give patients the best opportunity to receive appropriate personalised therapy from the start,” Dr. de Maranis said.

The launch of the new therapy in the UAE follows Boehringer Ingelheim’s expansion of its oncology franchise to the region earlier this year, and marks an important milestone for patients in the Emirates, who are seeking alternative treatments that offer a significant overall survival and improved quality of life. 

“We are delighted to be able to make this targeted therapy available to patients in the UAE,” said Dr Sherif Khattab, Head of Oncology, Boehringer Ingelheim META.

“This is a significant step towards meeting the substantial unmet need in lung cancer treatment in the UAE and across the region and reinforces our commitment to bringing the right treatments to the right patients,” he said.

Mr Mohammed Al Tawil, General Manager, Boehringer Ingelheim, Middle East and Near East Area, said Boehringer Ingelheim has embarked on a major research program to develop innovative cancer drugs, of which this new therapy is the latest. 

“We work in close collaboration with the international scientific community and a number of the world’s leading cancer centers, to ensure our pipeline is evolving and demonstrate our continued commitment to improve the outcome for people with lung and other cancers,” Mr Al Tawil said.