Group items tagged

AstraZeneca said on Thursday (June 30) that a combination of its cancer drug, Imfinzi, and chemotherapy showed promise in a late-stage trial in patients with an aggressive form of lung cancer, when given before surgery. Data showed the combination was more effective in removing cancer cells in tissue samples taken during surgery when compared with just chemotherapy in patients with non-small cell lung cancer, the drugmaker said. The interim result is a boost to the company's oncology efforts - a major area of focus - following disappointing data for Imfinzi earlier in the year in another area of therapy. AstraZeneca added the trial would continue as planned to assess the additional main goal of event-free survival, and the interim data would be shared with health authorities globally. Imfinzi belongs to the immunotherapy class of treatments, which boost the body's defences to fight cancer by using antibodies that block or bind to foreign substances in the body. The treatment generated $2.41 billion in 2021 sales.

The drug, 'durvalumab', can double the overall time someone can survive with an aggressive form of lung cancer from two-and-a-half to five years. It has been approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the NHS has sealed a deal with manufacturer AstraZeneca to begin rolling it out. The new treatment will be offered to more than 550 patients a year with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have already undergone both chemotherapy and radiotherapy concurrently. NHS said: "The drug can stop the cancer from getting worse for more than two years - significantly longer than treatment with a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which can only hold the disease at bay for around six months. This increases overall survival time and gives patients more precious moments with their loved ones." Dame Cally Palmer, national cancer director for NHS England, said: "We are resolute in our ambition to fight the devastating effects of cancer and new pioneering treatments like durvalumab are a vital lifeline for people living with cancer - giving them more precious time with family and friends.

Thousands of lung cancer patients in England will benefit from a ground-breaking new drug that can reduce the risk of relapse. This follows a deal brokered by NHS England and approval from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for atezolizumab therapy to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). More than 850 patients are expected to be eligible for the drug in the first year, rising to more than 1000 in the third year. It is the first immunotherapy approved for patients with early-stage NSCLC who have undergone surgery and chemotherapy. Clinical trials have shown that atezolizumab can reduce the risk of cancer relapse or death by 34 per cent in patients with early-stage NSCLC.