Targeting the reversible drug-tolerant state: aurora kinase A, is that the final answer?

Clinical application of the first-generation (1G) epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) gefitinib and erlotinib launched the era of molecular targeted therapies for lung adenocarcinoma. At the same time, acquired resistance to these agents has been problematic given that 1G EGFR-TKIs are associated with a median progression-free survival of 9–12 months (1).