Vemurafenib

(Zelboraf®)

Vemurafenib

Drug updated on 11/1/2024

Dosage FormTablet (oral; 240 mg)
Drug ClassKinase inhibitors
Ongoing and
Completed Studies
ClinicalTrials.gov

Indication

  • Indiacted for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma with BRAF V600E mutation as detected by an FDA-approved test
  • Indicated for the treatment of patients with Erdheim Chester Disease with BRAF V600 mutation.

Latest News

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Summary
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  • This summary is based on the review of 12 systematic review(s)/meta-analysis(es). [1-12]
  • In high-risk resected melanoma, vemurafenib demonstrated a recurrence-free survival (RFS) benefit over placebo, but combination therapies like nivolumab + ipilimumab showed the greatest improvement in RFS. Dabrafenib plus trametinib had the lowest hazards for relapse-free survival compared to other treatments, excluding nivolumab regarding overall survival.
  • For BRAF-mutated melanoma patients with brain metastases, BRAF inhibitors (vemurafenib and dabrafenib) and the BRAF/MEK inhibitor combination (dabrafenib and trametinib) achieved a significantly higher intracranial disease control (odds ratio 0.58) in previously treated patients versus treatment-naive individuals.
  • In hairy cell leukemia (HCL), vemurafenib monotherapy achieved an overall response rate (ORR) of 100% in the US cohort and 96% in the Italian cohort, while the combination of vemurafenib and rituximab resulted in a complete response rate of 100%.
  • A meta-analysis indicated that BRAF inhibitors and BRAF/MEK combinations led to improved progression-free survival (PFS) in BRAF-mutant melanoma patients previously treated for brain metastases, with a hazard ratio of 1.22.
  • Vemurafenib was associated with an increased risk of grade 3-5 adverse events compared to placebo/observation, while in BRAF-mutated melanoma patients with brain metastases, no significant increase in overall adverse events, grade 3/4 adverse events, and severe adverse events was observed between pre-treated and treatment-naive cohorts using BRAF inhibitors.
  • Combined BRAF plus MEK inhibitors had slightly worse gastrointestinal toxicity profiles but better dermatological profiles compared to vemurafenib monotherapy, and vemurafenib was generally well-tolerated across multiple studies, despite a long list of side effects noted in the treatment of Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD).
  • Nivolumab and pembrolizumab were associated with lower risks of high-grade adverse events compared to vemurafenib and combination therapies, with pembrolizumab and nivolumab demonstrating the highest probabilities of being less associated with any and grade 3-4 adverse events.
  • The reviewed evidence indicates that BRAF mutation status significantly impacts treatment effectiveness, particularly for progression-free survival (PFS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS), with BRAF-mutant patients showing improved outcomes, such as those with BRAFv600K mutations who experienced enhanced PFS with dabrafenib; however, patient age did not significantly influence outcomes.

Product Monograph / Prescribing Information

Document TitleYearSource
Zelboraf (vemurafenib) Prescribing Information.2020Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA

Systematic Reviews / Meta-Analyses

Document TitleYearSource
Efficacy and safety of immune checkpoint inhibitors and targeted therapies in resected melanoma: a systematic review and network meta-analysis2023Frontiers in Pharmacology
BRAF inhibitors in BRAF V600E-mutated ameloblastoma: systematic review of rare cases in the literature2023 Medical Oncology
Vemurafenib in the Treatment of Erdheim Chester Disease: A Systematic Review2022Cureus
Impact of Previous Local Treatment for Brain Metastases on Response to Molecular Targeted Therapy in BRAF-Mutant Melanoma Brain Metastasis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis2022Frontiers in Oncology
Management of Relapsed Hairy Cell Leukemia: A Systematic Review of Novel Agents and Targeted Therapies2021Clinical Lymphoma, Myeloma & Leukemia
Adjuvant Therapy of High-Risk (Stages IIC-IV) Malignant Melanoma in the Post Interferon-Alpha Era: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis2020Frontiers in Oncology
Treatment of hairy cell leukemia2020Expert Review of Hematology
Impact of initial treatment and prognostic factors on postprogression survival in BRAF-mutated metastatic melanoma treated with dacarbazine or vemurafenib +/- cobimetinib: a pooled analysis of four clinical trials2020Journal of Translational Medicine
Erdheim-Chester Disease With Extensive Pericardial Involvement: A Case Report and Systematic Review2020Cardiology Research
Adjuvant therapy for cutaneous melanoma: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of new therapies2020Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology
Efficacy and Adverse Events in Metastatic Melanoma Patients Treated with Combination BRAF Plus MEK Inhibitors Versus BRAF Inhibitors: A Systematic Review2019Cancers
Comparative efficacy and safety of dabrafenib in combination with trametinib versus competing adjuvant therapies for high-risk melanoma2019Journal of Comparative Effectiveness Research

Clinical Practice Guidelines