Source - Alliance News

AstraZeneca PLC on Saturday said its jointly developed breast cancer drug Enhertu showed improved overall survival in a phase III trial, while its leukaemia treatment Calquence showed a sustained survival benefit in another phase III trial.

The Cambridge, England-based pharmaceutical company said Enhertu improved median overall survival by more than six months compared to chemotherapy in all patients evaluated in the Destiny-Breast04 trial.

Enhertu, whose generic name is trastuzumab deruxtecan, is a specifically engineered HER2-directed antibody drug conjugate being jointly developed by AstraZeneca and Tokyo-based peer Daiichi Sankyo Co Ltd.

Results from the pivotal Destiny-Breast04 Phase III trial showed that Enhertu met the primary endpoint of progression-free survival in patients with HR-positive disease, reducing the risk of disease progression or death by 49% versus chemotherapy.

AstraZeneca Executive Vice President Susan Galbraith said: ‘The results represent a pivotal moment demonstrating the potential for Enhertu to redefine the treatment of HER2-targetable cancers. We must now evolve the way we classify and treat metastatic breast cancer to ensure these patients are effectively diagnosed and treated.’

HER2 is a tyrosine kinase receptor growth-promoting protein expressed on the surface of many types of tumours including breast, gastric, lung and colorectal cancers, and is one of many biomarkers expressed in breast cancer tumours.

AstraZeneca also said results from the Elevate-TN Phase III trial showed that Calquence, whose generic name is acalabrutinib, maintained a progression-free survival benefit, and a safety and tolerability profile.

At a median follow-up of fifty-eight months, Calquence plus obinutuzumab reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 89% and as a monotherapy by 79%.

Calquence is a selective inhibitor of BTK. Calquence binds covalently to BTK, thereby inhibiting its activity. In B cells, BTK signalling results in activation of pathways necessary for B-cell proliferation, trafficking, chemotaxis and adhesion.

Jeff Sharman, lead investigator of the Elevate-TN trial, said: ‘These data from Elevate-TN, with nearly five years of follow-up, support what I have seen in clinical practice and provide clinicians with further reassurance when prescribing this therapy.

‘Patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia often remain on therapy for many years, so long-term efficacy and tolerability are critical factors that physicians consider when deciding on a treatment plan.’

AstraZeneca shares were down 1.8% today at 10,260.00 pence each on Monday morning in London.

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.

Find out how to deal online from £1.50 in a SIPP, ISA or Dealing account. AJBell logo

Related Charts

Astrazeneca PLC (AZN)

-64.00p (-0.60%)
delayed 18:45PM