AstraZeneca scraps late-stage trial of experimental lung cancer therapy
AstraZeneca has halted a Phase III trial of an experimental lung cancer treatment after an independent review found it was unlikely to deliver the benefits researchers had hoped for.
The eVOLVE-Lung02 trial was studying volrustomig, the experimental drug in question, combined with chemotherapy as a first-line treatment for patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. The trial was for people whose tumours do not express the PD-L1 protein, which doctors use to help determine how likely some cancers are to respond to immunotherapy.
The independent monitoring committee stated that the combination would probably miss both of the study’s two main aims: slowing the progression of cancer or extending the lives of patients. AstraZeneca said in a statement on Monday that side effects were broadly consistent with those already known for the medicines involved, and no new safety issues had emerged.
Why the failure matters
Volrustomig is a bispecific antibody that targets two immune checkpoints, PD-1 and CTLA-4, to help the immune system better attack cancer. Earlier-stage data had been especially encouraging in patients with extremely low PD-L1 levels, leading AstraZeneca to advance the combo into the large Phase III trial.
Read more: AstraZeneca to invest $15bn in China by 2030 during UK PM Starmer’s Beijing visit
The decision does not mean that AstraZeneca is giving up on volrustomig altogether. It already has a pipeline that includes late-stage trials of the drug in head and neck cancer and malignant pleural mesothelioma.
But the lung cancer failure comes at a tough time for the company. AstraZeneca has endured a string of high-profile clinical disappointments this year, including the failure of Wainua in a pivotal heart-disease study in July and a late-stage setback for rare-disease drug Ultomiris later that month.
Investors are watching the pipeline
The recent string of misses has put a spotlight on AstraZeneca’s research engine, which relies heavily on new medicines to drive its long-term growth plans. The company aims to generate $80 billion in annual revenue by 2030, bolstered by as many as 20 new drug launches.
Chief executive Pascal Soriot tried to allay those fears in July after AstraZeneca beat second quarter profit expectations, saying that recent setbacks had not changed his confidence in the pipeline or the company’s 2030 targets.
Read more: Uzbekistan to launch major cancer care reforms in 2027
Monday’s decision adds another failed late-stage study to that record — this time in lung cancer, an area that has been central to AstraZeneca’s oncology ambitions. It has said it wants over half of lung cancer patients to take one of its drugs by 2030.
From economics and politics to business, technology and culture, Kursiv Uzbekistan brings you key news and in-depth analysis from Uzbekistan and around the world. To stay up to date and get the latest stories in real time, follow our Telegram channel.
