Estimation of the Maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and/or Recommended dose (RD) of LDK378 as a single agent when administered orally to Japanese patients with tumors characterized by genetic alterations in anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients with a locally advanced or metastatic malignancy that has progressed despite standard therapy, or for which no effective standard therapy exists

• Only patients with tumors characterized by genetic alterations in ALK. For non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), an ALK translocation must be detected by Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) in ≥15% of tumor cells. Local site documented results on ALK alteration are acceptable for enrollment of the patients. Central confirmation of local results is not required.

  --Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status grade ≤ 2

• Adequate organ function

• Dose-expansion part: Patients must have NSCLC that has progressed since prior therapy with alectinib. Alectinib must have been the only prior ALK inhibitor received by the patient prior to trial entry.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients with symptomatic Central Nerve System (CNS) metastases who are neurologically unstable or require increasing doses of steroids to control their CNS disease
• Patients with unresolved nausea, vomiting or diarrhea > Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) grade 1
• Other concurrent severe and/or uncontrolled medical conditions
• Patients who have been treated with chemotherapy or biologic therapy or other investigational agent < 2 weeks prior to starting the daily dosing of the study drug for compounds with a half-life ≤ 3 days, and < 4 weeks prior to starting the daily dosing of the study drug for compounds with a prolonged half-life (< 6 weeks for patients that received nitrosoureas or mitomycin-C)
• Unresolved toxicity greater than CTCAE grade 1 or unstable toxicity from previous anti-cancer therapy or radiotherapy (excluding neurotoxicity, alopecia, ototoxicity, lymphopenia), or incomplete recovery from previous surgery, unless agreed by Novartis and the Principal Investigator and documented
• Patients who have received radiotherapy to lung within 4 weeks prior to starting the daily dosing of the study drug or patients who have not recovered from radiotherapy-related toxicities. For all other anatomic sites radiotherapy to a large volume (including whole brain radiotherapy) < 2 weeks prior to starting the daily dosing of the study drug, and patients who have received radiotherapy to a small volume (including stereotactic radiotherapy to the CNS) < 3 days prior to starting the study drug.

Other protocol-defined inclusion/exclusion criteria may apply.