AstraZeneca's Imfinzi shows promise in treating aggressive lung cancer

AstraZeneca said on Friday its blockbuster cancer drug Imfinzi helped improve overall and progression-free survival in patients with limited-stage small cell lung cancer.

The drug demonstrated "statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement" in the dual primary goals of overall survival and progression-free survival in patients for whom the disease had not worsened following concurrent chemoradiotherapy in a late-stage trial, according to AstraZeneca.

Overall survival is defined as the proportion of trial patients on the drug who were alive compared to those on a placebo, while progression free survival refers to the period of time that a person lives with the disease without it getting worse after treatment.

Small cell lung cancer is a highly aggressive form of cancer that typically recurs and progresses rapidly despite initial response to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, with only 15 per cent to 30 per cent of patients alive five years after diagnosis, AstraZeneca said.

The drug trial is part of the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker's key cancer portfolio. Oncology drugs accounted for 23 per cent of total group revenue last year.