Astrazeneca’s cancer drug in trial success

ASTRAZENECA’S new oncology drug Imfinzi has had further success after clinical trials showed it helps lung cancer patients live longer.

The news follows a trial last May in which people with the inoperable stage III non-small cell lung cancer lived on average 16.8 months without their disease worsening (this is known as “progression-free survival”) compared with 5.6 months for those on the placebo.

That led to the drug’s approval from US and Cana- dian regulators earlier this year. European regulators still have it under review.

The drug is the same one that last summer prompted more than £10bn to be wiped off the market value of Astrazeneca, after a trial showed it failed to improve progression free survival in lung cancer patients compared to chemotherapy.

However, that trial had tested more advanced stage four lung cancer patients.

The drug could be worth $2bn a year to the company.