A novel acquired ALK F1245C mutation confers resistance to crizotinib in ALK-positive NSCLC but is sensitive to ceritinib

The emergence of acquired anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) resistant mutations is a common molecular mechanism underpinning disease progression during crizotinib treatment of ALK-positive (ALK+) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Identifying acquired resistance mutations in ALK is paramount for tailoring future therapy with second generation ALK inhibitors and beyond. Comprehensive genomic profiling using hybrid-capture next generation sequencing has been successful in identifying acquired ALK resistance mutations. Here we described the emergence of an ALK F1245C mutation in an advanced ALK+ NSCLC patient (EML4-ALK variant 3a/b) who developed slow disease progression after a durable response to crizotinib. The patient was eventually switched to ceritinib with on-going clinical response. This is the first patient report that ALK F1245C is an acquired resistance mutation to crizotinib that can be overcome by ceritinib