On November 26, 2018, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the drug larotrectinib, for cancers caused by a genetic mutation called a TRK fusion. The decision marked a transformation in the field of precision medicine.
Larotrectinib is the first targeted therapy to be FDA approved based solely on its effect on a specific genetic change in a tumor, regardless of where in the body the tumor originated. This approval opened the door to a unique and innovative approach to treating both adults and children with cancer. People between the ages of one month and 80 years have been treated with this drug through clinical trials.
MSK has paved the way in the field of precision medicine. Through this video, we were able to showcase MSK's care and expertise in a real-life setting. When 2-year-old Rihanna was born, she had a tumor the size of her head on her arm. Desperate to help their daughter, her parents enrolled her in a groundbreaking clinical trial at MSK that changed everything.
In this video, we interview Rihanna's parents and hear first hand how Rihanna's care at MSK was life changing.
Our goal was to create a highly produced video, to engage viewers and convey the importance of this drug approval. Larotrectinib was the first targeted therapy ever approved for patients with a specific genetic alteration, regardless of the type of cancer they have.
Baby Rihanna was born with a tumor the size of her head, on her arm. Through interviews with her parents, her physicians and photos from throughout her cancer treatment, this video helps viewers to visually comprehend the significance of this drug approval.
This video was released on Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center's website on the day that the FDA announced the approval of larotrectinib. This video was also shared across MSK's social media channels.
This video has performed strongly on Facebook. In terms of engagement, the video has had more than 1500 likes, comments and shares. It is one of the top five most-watched videos on our MSK Facebook page, over the past year.