ALK positive lung cancer is a primary malignant lung tumor whose cells contain a characteristic abnormal configuration of DNA wherein, most frequently, the echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4 (EML4) gene is fused to the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene.

[1] This abnormal gene fusion leads to the production of a protein that appears, in many cases, to promote and maintain the malignant behavior of the cancer cells.

[10] Alectinib another second generation targeted therapy and was approved (for this) in Japan in 2014[11] and by US FDA in 2015.,[12] manufactured by Genentech and marketed under the brand name Alecensa.

Brigatinib a second generation targeted therapy (FDA approved in 2017), manufactured by Takeda and is marketed under the brand name Alunbrig.

[20] According to patient advocacy group ALK Positive, a study in December 2018 found that the median survival for people with stage 4 (IV) ALK-positive lung cancer was 6.8 years with the right care.