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AstraZeneca‘s Imfinzi sh...Imfinzi belongs to the immunotherapy class of treatments
AstraZeneca on Thursday said a combination of its cancer drug, Imfinzi, coupled with chemotherapy showed promising results in a late-stage trial in patients with an aggressive form of lung cancer when administered before surgery. The Anglo-Swedish drugmaker said data confirmed that the combination was more effective in removing cancer cells in tissue samples taken during surgery in comparison to just chemotherapy in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. The result is a boost to the company's oncology efforts.
AstraZeneca added that the trial would continue as planned to assess the additional main goal of event-free survival, and the interim data would be shared with global health authorities. Imfinzi belongs to the immunotherapy class of treatments, which boosts the body's defenses 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. "Engaging the immune response with Imfinzi both before and after surgery is an exciting new strategy," said Susan Galbraith, executive vice president of oncology R&D at AstraZeneca. Non-small cell lung cancer is the most common form of lung cancer, accounting for about 85% of the estimated 2.2 million new cases of the disease diagnosed each year worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.