AstraZeneca looking to fast-track lung cancer drugs

3rd Jun 2014 07:51

Biopharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca is reportedly planning to make available to UK patients two of its main lung cancer drugs long before they have undergone full clinical testing under the recently launched scheme that fast-tracks the most promising new drug developments. The programme, which was set up a few months ago, was set up to give patients access to the most promising new drugs significantly in advance of their regulatory approval where there is need potentially being met by the medication is otherwise unmet. According to The Telegraph, the two potential treatments Astra's Chief Exectutive, Pascal Soriot, is most keen to enter into the scheme are the lung cancer drugs known as AZD9291 and MEDI4736. Soriot is quoted as saying that following the rapid development of both, the group was "looking at how we give patients early access to 9291 and 4736 around the world". He explained the group was looking at plans "on a country-by-country basis". That came after the group addressed the audience at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting in Chicago at the weekend to update on the latest development in its cancer pipeline."We have compelling new data on important mid to late stage assets, which clearly demonstrate our potential to transform the way cancer is treated," Soriot said. "We remain resolute in our ambition to bring these next-generation cancer medicines to patients as fast as possible."The most notable developments were that AZD9291 has shown strong activity as a once-daily single drug and that the combination of olaparib and cediranib in patients with a certain type of ovarian cancer had nearly doubled the time it took for patients' tumours to progress compared with olaparib alone. Briggs Morrison, the group's Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, said: "This is extremely exciting data and among the longest progression-free survival seen by treatments for patients with platinum-sensitive high-grade serous ovarian cancer. What is even more compelling is that the combination of olaparib and cediranib has the potential to replace chemotherapy." The third phase of the trial will explore the potential benefits for patients who currently have very limited treatment options.The group also said that within immuno-oncology, the results of the first phase of the trial of MEDI4736 supported its recent acceleration into the phase three. The share price had dipped 0.39% to 4,353.50p by 08:30 on Tuesday.NR