A comprehensive evaluation of ALK inhibitors in the first-line treatment of patients with ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer

There are currently six ALK inhibitors available for the first-line treatment of patients diagnosed with ALK-positive advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, clinicians face challenges in selecting the most appropriate drug for treatment. We have collated pertinent evaluative evidence and undertaken a multifaceted assessment of the enrolled medications across five critical dimensions: safety, efficacy, pharmaceutical properties, drug economy, and other properties. This comprehensive analysis aims to furnish a robust foundation for the selection and clinical deployment of pharmaceuticals, thereby advocating for the judicious and rational utilization of medications in clinical practice. Upon conducting an exhaustive evaluation, we determined that the aggregate scores for all ALK inhibitors under review surpassed the threshold of 75 points, with brigatinib distinguishing itself as the top performer in terms of overall scoring. Considering that safety, efficacy, and pharmacological properties are paramount in the comprehensive clinical appraisal of pharmaceuticals, lorlatinib emerged with the highest score when evaluated solely on these three critical criteria. Through an extensive evaluation of ALK inhibitors, it has been determined that each ALK inhibitor possesses unique strengths across a spectrum of five distinct dimensions. Notably, when evaluating both the comprehensive scores across all five dimensions and the focused scores for the top three dimensions, third-generation inhibitors consistently ranked as the optimal choice. Healthcare organizations can leverage these findings to assess and select ALK inhibitors that align with their specific requirements, utilizing the comparative rankings and scores across various dimensions to inform their selection process.