AstraZeneca’s UK new lung cancer drug hailed as ‘game-changer’ that could cut death risk in half
A UK ‘innovative’ drug could halve the risk of dying from lung cancer, a study has shown.
The landmark trial found that patients who received osimertinib after surgery were 51 percent more likely to survive five years than those who received a dummy tablet.
The daily pill targets non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumors in people with specific genetic mutations who have failed to respond to previous treatments.
Manufactured by British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, the drug is available to patients through the Cancer Medicines Fund.
But the researchers said the “thrilling” discovery should pave the way for routine use in the NHS.
UK’s ‘innovative’ drug could cut lung cancer death risk in half, study finds (file image)
The daily pill targets non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumors in people with specific genetic mutations who have failed to respond to previous treatments.
The drug costs around £5,770 for a bottle of 30 tablets, but the NHS will pay less under a secret agreement.
Osimertinib, a new generation of precision medicine, works for patients with lung cancer caused by mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor gene. About 10-15 percent of lung cancers in the UK are caused by her EGFR mutations, and these patients tend to have minimal or no smoking history.
Led by Yale University, the global Adaura study enrolled nearly 700 patients with stage 1-3 cancer, meaning the cancer has not spread to other organs.
Each had undergone surgery for the disease, and about two-thirds had never smoked. About half were given a drug known by the brand name Tagrisso daily for three years, and the rest were given a placebo because no other treatment was available.
At follow-up two years after stopping treatment, 12% of those who took the drug died, compared with 22% of those who took the dummy drug.
“It’s hard to tell how important this discovery is and how long it took to get here,” said ASCO’s Dr. Nathan Pennell.
Researchers said this ‘thrilling’ discovery should pave the way for routine use in the NHS
This landmark study found that patients who received osimertinib after surgery were 51 percent more likely to survive five years than those who received a dummy tablet (file image).
Earlier studies also found that the drug halved the chances of the disease recurring, which is a boon for patients. Dr. Roy Herbst, study leader and associate director of the Yale Cancer Center, told the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting in Chicago that the survival benefit was “amazing.”
“Even 30 years ago, even 20 years ago, there was nothing we could do for these patients,” he said.
“Now that we have this powerful drug, we have been using it since early on. It has exceeded our high expectations.
“50% is a big deal for any disease, but certainly for diseases that are generally very resistant to treatment, such as lung cancer,” said Angela Terry, president of the charity EGFR Positive UK. said the findings were “very exciting and very meaningful.”
“A 5-year overall survival rate of 88% is incredibly encouraging news for patients with EGFR-mutant NSCLC,” she said.
“Having access to drugs with proven efficacy and acceptable side effects means patients can enjoy a longer and better quality of life.”
“It’s hard to tell how important this discovery is and how long it took to get here,” said ASCO’s Dr. Nathan Pennell. This represents a clear and highly significant improvement in survival. “
An NHS spokesperson said: “The NHS continues to provide cutting-edge treatments to improve patient care and, of course, if NICE approval follows this encouraging study, this drug will be available to patients. We will also consider broader deployment to
