Tagrisso, already a useful asset for the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker, generated $5.4 billion in revenue last year. With regulatory approvals in various regions for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with EGFR gene mutations, the drug's potential continues to grow.

AstraZeneca's groundbreaking lung cancer therapy, Tagrisso, has demonstrated remarkable results in a clinical trial, decreasing the risk of death by more than half in patients diagnosed early enough to have their tumor surgically removed.

Tagrisso, already a useful asset for the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker, generated $5.4 billion in revenue last year. With regulatory approvals in various regions for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with EGFR gene mutations, the drug's potential continues to grow.

Presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2023 meeting, the trial data establishes Tagrisso as the leading treatment for EGFR-mutated lung cancer. Susan Galbraith, Executive VP of Oncology R&D at AstraZeneca, hailed the findings as a significant step forward.

During the ADAURA trial, involving 682 patients, Tagrisso was compared to a placebo in earlier-stageNSCLC patients who had undergone surgery to remove their primary tumor. Despite surgical intervention and supplementary chemotherapy, most of these patients experience cancer recurrence. The trial aimed to determine whether Tagrisso could prevent cancer from returning.

The data revealed that Tagrisso reduced the risk of death by an astounding 51% compared to the placebo, a truly dramatic improvement. Moreover, the trial showed that approximately 88% of patients treated with Tagrisso were still alive after five years, compared to 78% on the placebo. 

Dave Fredrickson, Executive VicePresident of Oncology at AstraZeneca, expressed enthusiasm about these findings, noting that Tagrisso is currently the only drug, aside from chemotherapy, proven to extend the lives of patients with EGFR-mutated lung cancer. Fredrickson emphasized that a significant proportion of eligible patients are not yet being prescribed Tagrisso, and the hope is that these compelling results will help close that gap.

In addition to this success, AstraZeneca is also anticipated to release details later this year regarding the impact of combining Tagrisso with chemotherapy in patients with advancedEGFR-mutated lung cancer. The company's dedication to improving outcomes for lung cancer patients continues to drive progress in the field.