- R&D
- For Print
- June 26, 2026
TOKYO, June 26, 2026 – Eisai Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo, CEO: Haruo Naito, “Eisai”) today announced that the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the United Kingdom has validated the Marketing Authorisation Application (MAA) for taletrectinib for the treatment of advanced ROS1-positive (ROS1+) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The application was submitted through the International Recognition Pathway, which takes into account approvals from trusted regulatory partners and supports expedited access to medicines in the UK. The application will now be evaluated by the MHRA to decide whether to approve or reject the application.
Taletrectinib is an oral treatment for patients living with advanced ROS1+ NSCLC.1 In January 2026, Eisai and Nuvation Bio Inc. (NYSE: NUVB, Corporate Headquarters: New York, NY) announced they had entered into an exclusive licensing and collaboration agreement in Europe and additional countries* outside the U.S., China and Japan to extend the global reach of taletrectinib.2 In March 2026, the European Medicines Agency validated the MAA for taletrectinib. Additional filings are planned for Canada and other regions included in Eisai’s licensed territories.
Within the UK, there are around 50,200 new lung cancer cases every year.3 Around 80 to 85% of all lung cancers are NSCLC,4 of which approximately 2% of patients harbor the ROS1+ mutation.5
“Following regulatory progress in Europe, the submission of the MAA application to the MHRA is a meaningful milestone that contributes to advancing the global footprint of taletrectinib,” said Terushige Iike, Chief Business Officer of Eisai Co., Ltd. “We believe taletrectinib has the potential to deliver additional value to clinical practice, based on the efficacy and safety which is being assessed in clinical studies. We remain committed to working closely with the MHRA throughout the review process to help bring this additional treatment option to patients as quickly as possible.”
The application is based on data from the two pivotal Phase 2 clinical studies, TRUST-I and TRUST-II, evaluating taletrectinib in patients globally.6,7 Results from a pooled analysis of the TRUST clinical program were initially reported in April 2025,8 and updated data reflecting longer patient follow-up were presented in April 2026, further building the efficacy and safety profile observed to date.9 Updated results from the TRUST-I study were also published at the same time in April 2026.10
* Eisai’s licensed territories: Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, Russia, Turkey, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and India
Media Inquiries:
Public Relations Department,
Eisai Co., Ltd.
+81-(0)3-3817-5120
Notes to Editors
- 1. About ROS1+ NSCLC
Each year, more than one million people globally are diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the most common form of lung cancer.11 It is estimated that approximately 2% of patients with NSCLC have ROS1+ disease.5 About 35% of patients newly diagnosed with metastatic ROS1+ NSCLC have tumors that have spread to their brain.12 The brain is a common site of disease progression.12,13
- 2. About Taletrectinib
Taletrectinib is an oral, CNS-active, ROS1 inhibitor therapy. On June 11, 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved taletrectinib for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic ROS1+ NSCLC. Taletrectinib is also approved for patients with advanced ROS1+ NSCLC in China14 and Japan.15
- 3. About the TRUST Clinical Program
The TRUST clinical program evaluates the safety and efficacy of taletrectinib. TRUST-I (NCT04395677) and TRUST-II (NCT04919811) are Phase 2 single-arm studies evaluating taletrectinib for the treatment of adults with advanced ROS1+ NSCLC in China (N=173) and globally (N=189), respectively.
- 4. About the International Recognition Pathway (IRP) in the United Kingdom
IRP is a regulatory pathway established by the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) that allows the agency to take into account the expertise and decision-making of trusted international reference regulators, such as the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and FDA.
Under IRP, MHRA conducts a targeted assessment based on existing regulatory evaluations, with the aim of supporting patients in the UK with expedited access to medicines.16
- 1. Nuvation Bio Inc. IBTROZI (taletrectinib) US prescribing information. Available at: https://ibtrozi-pi.com/IBTROZI_taletrectinib-prescribing-information.pdf. Last accessed: June 2026
- 2. Eisai and Nuvation Bio Enter into Exclusive Licensing Agreement for Taletrectinib in Europe and Additional Countries Outside the U.S., China and Japan. Available at: https://www.eisai.com/news/2026/news202603.html
- 3. Cancer Research UK. Lung cancer statistics. Available at: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/lung-cancer. Last accessed: June 2026.
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- 5. Wespiser M, Gille R, Pérol M. ROS1-positive non-small cell lung cancer: from genomics to treatment decisions. Frontiers in Oncology, 2026; 16, 1739598. https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2026.1739598
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- 7. ClinicalTrials.gov. Taletrectinib Phase 2 Global Study in ROS1 Positive NSCLC (TRUST-II) (NCT04919811). Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04919811 . Last accessed:June 2026
- 8. Pérol M, A., et al. Taletrectinib in ROS1 positive non small cell lung cancer: TRUST. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2025; 43(16), 1920–1929. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO 25 25-00275
- 9. Liu et al. Taletrectinib in TKI-Pretreated Patients With ROS1+ Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Updated Data From TRUST-I and TRUST-II. Poster CT244 presented at American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). 2026.
- 10. Wei Li et al. Long-Term Efficacy and Safety of Taletrectinib in Patients With ROS1+ Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer: Results From the Phase II TRUST-I Study. Journal of Clinical Oncology 2026; 44, 1670-1675. DOI:10.1200/JCO-26-00434
- 11. Global Data. Diagnosed incident cases of non-small cell lung cancer across 8MM to reach 1.46 million in 2032, forecasts GlobalData. Available at: https://www.globaldata.com/media/pharma/diagnosed-incident-cases-of-non-small-cell-lung-cancer-across-8mm-to-reach-1-46-million-in-2032-forecasts-globaldata/. Last accessed: June 2026.
- 12. Patil T, Smith DE, Bunn PA Jr, et al. The incidence of brain metastases in stage IV ROS1-rearranged non-small cell lung cancer and rate of central nervous system progression on crizotinib. J Thorac Oncol, 2018;13(11):1717-1726. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtho.2018.07.001.
- 13. Drilon A, Camidge DR, Lin JJ, et al. Repotrectinib in ROS1 fusion‑positive non‑small‑cell lung cancer. N Engl J Med, 2024;390(2):118‑131. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2302299.
- 14. Nuvation Bio Receives Approval from China’s National Medical Products Administration for Taletrectinib for Patients with Advanced ROS1-positive Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Available at: https://investors.nuvationbio.com/news/news-details/2025/Nuvation-Bio-Receives-Approval-from-Chinas-National-Medical-Products-Administration-for-Taletrectinib-for-Patients-with-Advanced-ROS1-positive-Non-Small-Cell-Lung-Cancer/default.aspx. Last accessed: June 2026.
- 15. Nuvation Bio Receives Approval from Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare for IBTROZI™ for Patients with Advanced ROS1-positive Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Available at: https://investors.nuvationbio.com/news/news-details/2025/Nuvation-Bio-Receives-Approval-from-Japans-Ministry-of-Health-Labour-and-Welfare-for-IBTROZITM-for-Patients-with-Advanced-ROS1-positive-Non-Small-Cell-Lung-Cancer/default.aspx. Last accessed: June 2026.
- 16. International Recognition Procedure. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/international-recognition-procedure/international-recognition-procedure. Last accessed: June 2026.
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