Can a common cancer mutation now be controlled? Elizabeth Tracey reports

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Cancer mutations are often named, with one common group in a gene called KRAS. Although common, KRAS mutations have been extremely difficult to target, but now a new agent may have broken the code. That’s according to William Nelson, director of the Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins. 

Nelson: The drug is called sotorasib, which is an agent that targets the mutant KRAS. KRAS kind of genes acquire mutations and become defective in many human cancers. It’s one of these early ones actually discovered that are drivers of the cancer process. In lung cancer where you see this mutation not uncommonly people with that mutation were given the drug and it definitely has responses. It’s going to be one of these kinds of drugs that are going to be able to treat cancers with this mutation.  :33

Nelson looks forward to more agents targeting KRAS mutations. At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.