Roche will acquire oncology player Ignyta for $1.7 billion cash, in a deal that gives the Basel-based pharma entrectinib, a targeted agent designed to block cancer development driven by certain gene rearrangements, irrespective of where in the body the tumors are located. Alterations in the three NTRK genes as well as the ROS1 and ALK receptor tyrosine kinase genes result in fusion proteins that transform healthy cells into cancer cells. Ignyta's investigational oral drug entrectinib is in the phase 2 STARTRK-2 basket trial where patients are assigned to different baskets according to tumor type and gene fusion signatures. In October, Ignyta, of San Diego, reported interim data showing that among patients with ROS1 fusion-positive non-small cell lung cancer, entrectinib led to an overall response rate of 78% (25 out of 32 patients), as measured by investigator assessment, and 69% (22 out of 32 patients), as measured by blinded independent central review. Ignyta plans to seek entrectinib's approval to treat fusion-positive solid tumors, regardless of tissue of origin. Another company, Loxo Oncology, is also developing a tissue-agnostic tropomyosin receptor kinase (TRK) inhibitor to treat cancers where the NTRK genes (that encode the TRK family of proteins) have undergone fusion events. These fusions result in chimeric oncoproteins leading to ligand-independent activation and overexpression in tumors of all types (Nat. Biotechnol. 35, 694–695, 2017). In November, Loxo partnered with Bayer of Leverkusen, Germany, to develop and commercialize larotrectinib (LOXO-101) and a second selective TRK inhibitor. Loxo has rights to larotrectinib, which inhibits TRKA, TRKB and TRKC from Array BioPharma.