Introduction and Rapid Spread of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant and Dynamics of BA.1 and BA.1.1 Sublineages, Finland, December 2021.

Multiple introductions of SARS-COV-2 Omicron variant BA.1 and BA.1.1. lineages to Finland were detected in early December 2021. Within 3 weeks, Omicron overtook Delta as the most common variant in the capital region. Sequence analysis demonstrated the emergence and spread through community transmission of a large cluster of BA.1.1 virus.

Incidence Trends for SARS-CoV-2 Alpha and Beta Variants, Finland, Spring 2021.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 Alpha and Beta variants became dominant in Finland in spring 2021 but had diminished by summer. We used phylogenetic clustering to identify sources of spreading. We found that outbreaks were mostly seeded by a few introductions, highlighting the importance of surveillance and prevention policies.

Efficacy and Safety of Crizotinib in the Treatment of Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer with ROS1 Rearrangement or MET Alteration: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Crizotinib has been approved for the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with ROS proto-oncogene 1 (ROS1) gene fusion. This drug has also been granted breakthrough designation for NSCLCs with MET exon 14 alterations. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of crizotinib in patients with these diseases. METHODS: We searched PubMed and Web of Science for relevant studies. Meta-analysis of proportions was conducted to calculate the pooled rate of complete response, partial response, stable disease, progressive disease, disease control rate (DCR), objective response rate (ORR), and drug adverse effects (AEs) of crizotinib in NSCLCs with ROS1 rearrangement or MET alterations. RESULTS: A total of 20 studies were included for meta-analysis. Among patients with ROS1-positive NSCLC, crizotinib exhibited a pooled DCR of 93.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] 90.8-95.5) and a pooled ORR of 77.4% (95% CI 72.8-82.1). The median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of patients in this group was 14.5 and 32.6 months, respectively. For NSCLC with MET alterations, crizotinib was associated with a lower efficacy (DCR 78.9% [95% CI 70.3-87.4] and ORR 40.6% [95% CI 28.3-53.0]). The median PFS was 5.2 months, and median OS was 12.7 months. The most common drug AEs were vision impairment (43.7%), edema (42.9%), and fatigue (40.1%). CONCLUSION: Our study highlighted and confirmed the efficacy of crizotinib in patients with NSCLC with ROS1 or MET genetic alterations. Crizotinib had remarkable effects on advanced NSCLC with ROS1 fusion, as previously reported. However, the role of this targeted therapy in MET-altered NSCLC remains investigational.