A Kirsten rat sarcoma virus (KRAS) targeted therapy for treating lung cancer patients is finally getting close to an arm’s reach after 40 years.

A KRAS inhibitor sotorasib (codename: AMG 510) in development by Amgen has been authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a priority review on Feb. 17. A first KRAS treatment could be available in the third quarter at earliest for treating patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

KRAS gene has been discovered for the first time in 1982 in lung cancer cells. About 25 percent of European patients with KRAS mutations are found with lung adenocarcinoma, so do about 10 percent to 15 percent of Asian patients. Particularly i