AstraZeneca Notches Prostate Cancer Success With Lynparza
September 30 2019 - 10:59AM
Dow Jones News
By Carlo Martuscelli
AstraZeneca PLC (AZN.LN) said Monday that a study of its cancer
drug Lynparza used as a treatment for metastatic prostate cancer
met its target.
The phase 3 Profound study showed that patients with certain
genetic mutations who were administered Lynparza lived longer
without their disease progressing compared with those given
hormonal treatments.
The drug was able to reduce the risk of disease progression or
death by 66%, Astra said.
Greg Rossi, vice president of the oncology franchise at the FTSE
100-listed pharmaceutical company, told Dow Jones Newswires that
the impact was substantial.
Lynparza was being tested in patients that had mutations in a
group of genes associated with cells' DNA repair mechanism. He said
that Lynparza is able to exploit this vulnerability, and further
impair the genetic function of cancer cells in order to kill
them.
It is estimated that between 20% and 25% of patients with
metastatic prostate cancer have at least one mutation in this group
of genes, he said.
Mr. Rossi said that the company is targeting expanded U.S.
approval for the drug in 2020. Astra developed Lynparza in
collaboration with Merck & Co. (MRK).
Write to Carlo Martuscelli at carlo.martuscelli@dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
September 30, 2019 10:44 ET (14:44 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2019 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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