| Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma
Alecensa vs Tafinlar + Mekinist
Side-by-side clinical, coverage, and cost comparison for non-small cell lung carcinoma.Deep comparison between: Alecensa vs Tafinlar with Prescriber.AI
AI compares prescribing info and payer-specific access barriers across 1,200+ formularies. Here's a preview of what prescribers are already asking.Safety signalsTafinlar has a higher rate of injection site reactions vs Alecensa based on FDA-approved prescribing information
Coverage gaps3 major payers require step therapy for Tafinlar but not Alecensa, including UnitedHealthcare
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Category
Alecensa
Tafinlar
At A Glance
Oral
Twice daily
ALK/RET tyrosine kinase inhibitor
Oral
Twice daily
BRAF kinase inhibitor
Indications
- Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma
- melanoma
- Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma
- Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma
- Low grade glioma
- Solid Neoplasm
Dosing
Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma (adjuvant) 600 mg orally twice daily with food for a total of 2 years or until disease recurrence or unacceptable toxicity following tumor resection of ALK-positive NSCLC (tumors >= 4 cm or node positive).
Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma (metastatic) 600 mg orally twice daily with food until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity; reduce to 450 mg orally twice daily for severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh C).
Melanoma 150 mg orally twice daily as single agent or in combination with trametinib 2 mg once daily, oral route.
Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma 150 mg orally twice daily in combination with trametinib 2 mg once daily, oral route.
Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma 150 mg orally twice daily in combination with trametinib 2 mg once daily, oral route.
Low grade glioma Weight-based dosing in pediatric patients (20-150 mg twice daily) in combination with trametinib, oral route.
Solid Neoplasm 150 mg orally twice daily in combination with trametinib 2 mg once daily in adults; weight-based dosing in pediatric patients >= 1 year, oral route.
Contraindications
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Adverse Reactions
Most common (>=20%) Hepatotoxicity, constipation, fatigue, myalgia, edema, rash, cough
Serious Hepatotoxicity, ILD/pneumonitis, renal impairment, bradycardia, severe myalgia and CPK elevation, hemolytic anemia, pneumonia
Most common (>= 20%) Pyrexia, rash, hyperkeratosis, headache, arthralgia, papilloma, alopecia, palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome, chills, cough, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, dry skin, myalgia, constipation, decreased appetite, edema, hemorrhage, dyspnea, musculoskeletal pain, abdominal pain, epistaxis, dermatitis acneiform
Serious New primary malignancies (cutaneous and non-cutaneous RAS mutation-positive), hemorrhage, cardiomyopathy, uveitis, serious febrile reactions, serious skin toxicities including SCAR, hyperglycemia, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis
Pharmacology
Alectinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor that targets ALK and RET; it inhibits ALK phosphorylation and ALK-mediated activation of downstream signaling proteins STAT3 and AKT, with the major active metabolite M4 showing similar in vitro potency and activity against multiple mutant forms of ALK, including mutations identified in NSCLC tumors that have progressed on crizotinib.
Dabrafenib is a BRAF kinase inhibitor that targets mutated BRAF V600E, V600K, and V600D enzymes, inhibiting cell growth in BRAF V600 mutation-positive tumors.
Enter your patient's insuranceCheck specific coverage details for your patient.
Most Common Insurance
Anthem BCBS
Alecensa
- Covered on 5 commercial plans
- PA (12/12) · Step Therapy (0/12) · Qty limit (11/12)
Tafinlar
- Covered on 5 commercial plans
- PA (11/12) · Step Therapy (0/12) · Qty limit (11/12)
UnitedHealthcare
Alecensa
- Covered on 4 commercial plans
- PA (8/8) · Step Therapy (0/8) · Qty limit (8/8)
Tafinlar
- Covered on 4 commercial plans
- PA (6/8) · Step Therapy (4/8) · Qty limit (1/8)
Humana
Alecensa
- Covered on 0 commercial plans
- PA (3/3) · Step Therapy (0/3) · Qty limit (2/3)
Tafinlar
- Covered on 0 commercial plans
- PA (3/3) · Step Therapy (0/3) · Qty limit (2/3)
Coverage data sourced from MMIT. Updated monthly.
Savings
Cost estimate not availableAlecensa Access Solutions Bridge Program
Commercial or private insurance
Medicare, Medicaid, VA, TRICARE
No savings programs available for Tafinlar.
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Clinical data sourced from FDA-approved labeling. Coverage data via MMIT. Updated monthly.