updated 5/15/2020

Ayvakit – Approved January 9th, 2020

On January 9, 2020, The FDA approved avapritinib, brand name Ayvakit (formerly BLU-285), for GISTs with a mutation in exon 18 of the platelet derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRA), including the D842V mutation. It is approved for patients in any line of treatment, for example, 1st line, 2nd line, etc., but it is not approved for adjuvant treatment (preventative).

Prior to the approval of Ayvakit, these mutations have not had an approved treatment to which they responded. In the NAVIGATOR trial, the response rate to Ayvakit was 84% for all exon 18 mutations and 89% for the D842V mutation. Response includes complete responses (7% and 8% respectively) and partial responses (77%% and 82%) respectively. The median duration of response has not yet been reached in these patient groups.

Like other drugs approved for GIST, avapritinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI). It inhibits PDGFRA, KIT and CSFR1. It is also being developed for mastocytosis.

The recommended dosage of Ayvakit is 300 mg, given once per day, at least one hour before and two hours after a meal. It is available in 100, 200 and 300 mg tablets.

Dosage Forms and Strengths Tablets:

  • 100 mg, round, white film-coated, printed with blue ink “BLU” on one side and “100” on the other side.
  • 200 mg, capsule shaped, white film-coated, printed with blue ink “BLU” on one side and “200” on the other side.
  • 300 mg, capsule shaped, white film-coated, printed with blue ink “BLU” on one side and “300” on the other side.

Official Announcements

Questions?

You may have questions about this treatment. As always, please consult your GIST specialist to determine if this is a potential treatment option for you. Our Patient Registry staff is happy to answer questions about avapritinib and other approved treatment options for GIST. Please email our Director of Data Mgmt & Research Sahibjeet Kaur.

Additional Resources:

1/20/2020