AstraZeneca plc (NYSE:AZN) disclosed that its cancer treatment drug Lynparza has been recommended for approval by the European Medicines Agency.
AstraZeneca and Merck (NYSE:MRK) announced final results on the weekend from the Phase III PROfound trial that showed Lynparza (olaparib) demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in overall survival ((OS)) versus enzalutamide or abiraterone in men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) with BRCA1/2 or ATM gene mutations.Patients had progressed on prior treatment with new hormonal agent ((NHA)) treatments (i.e., enzalutamide and abiraterone).
Results from a prespecified exploratory analysis of the positive ADAURA Phase III trial showed AstraZeneca’s TAGRISSO® (osimertinib) demonstrated a clinically meaningful improvement in central nervous system (CNS) disease-free survival (DFS) in the adjuvant treatment of patients with early-stage (IB, II and IIIA) epidermal growth factor receptor-mutated (EGFRm) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), after complete tumor resection.
While up to 30% of all patients with NSCLC may be diagnosed early enough to have potentially curative surgery, disease recurrence is still common in early-stage disease.CNS recurrence, when cancer spreads to the brain, is a frequent complication of EGFRm NSCLC and these patients have an especially poor prognosis.
AZN shares faded $1.74, or 3.1% to $54.71, while Merck dropped $1.46, or 1.7%, to $84.35.
