Final results confirm blow for Astrazeneca over lung cancer drug
FINAL results from a clinical trial of one of Astrazeneca’s most important oncology drugs have confirmed that it is no better at improving survival rates in patients with late-stage lung cancer than chemotherapy.
Imfinzi, one of Astrazeneca’s newest immuno-oncology medications, has been hailed as a potential blockbuster drug, which is defined as one generating annual sales of more than $1bn (£780m).
The Anglo-swedish pharmaceutical giant had hoped that Imfinzi would one day replace chemotherapy as the first treatment of choice for patients with a certain type of lung cancer.
But the company suffered a setback in July last year when a landmark trial showed the drug failed to improve progression-free survival in patients – the length of time before their illness worsens – compared with using chemotherapy, wiping billions off the market value of the company.
At the time, Pascal Soriot, Astrazeneca’s chief executive, called for investors to be patient and await the more comprehensive overall survival results from the trial, which were released yesterday.
Sean Bohen, Astrazeneca’s chief medical officer, said he was disappointed with the outcome. The trial was two-pronged, looking at Imfinzi on its own and in combination with Astrazeneca’s experimental immuno-oncology drug tremelimumab.
While there was some evidence to suggest patients taking Imfinzi on its own enjoyed higher survival rates it was not statistically significant, Mr Bohen added.
“We remain confident in Imfinzi as the cornerstone of our immuno-oncology programme and continue to evaluate its potential in ongoing non-small cell lung cancer trials,” he said.
Shares in Astrazeneca fell nearly 3pc in response to the news.
Imfinzi is already approved for use in an earlier-stage lung cancer in patients who have already undergone chemotherapy and is also licensed to treat bladder cancer.