AstraZeneca’s lung cancer drug Imfinzi approved in China
pharmafile | July 19, 2021 | News story | Sales and Marketing |
China has approved AstraZeneca’s drug Imfinzi to treat an aggressive type of lung cancer in adults.
The drug’s use with platinum chemotherapy for adult patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC) was approved by China’s National Medical Products Administration.
The approval was based on positive results from the CASPIAN Phase III trial. The trial showed that Imfinzi plus chemotherapy demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in overall survival (OS) versus chemotherapy alone.
In addition, results from the China cohort of patients were consistent with the global results.
Dave Fredrickson, Executive Vice President, Oncology Business Unit, said: “Today’s approval of Imfinzi plus chemotherapy brings an important global standard of care to patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer in China, who have had few treatment options and a dire prognosis.
“Physicians can now offer these patients a well-tolerated immunotherapy regimen with sustained overall survival and prolonged treatment response, as well as convenient dosing.
“This is also the first time physicians have had the choice to combine immunotherapy with cisplatin, a preferred chemotherapy in this setting in China.”
SCLC is a highly aggressive, fast-growing form of lung cancer that typically recurs and progresses rapidly despite initial response to chemotherapy.
Prognosis is particularly poor, as only 7% of all SCLC patients and 3% of those with extensive-stage disease will be alive five years after diagnosis.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among men and women and accounts for about one-fifth of all cancer deaths.
Imfinzi is already approved in many countries as a treatment for the more common non-small cell lung cancer.
Lilly Subbotin
