FORM 6-K
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
Report
of Foreign Issuer
Pursuant
to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16 of
the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For the
month of December 2024
Commission
File Number: 001-11960
AstraZeneca PLC
1
Francis Crick Avenue
Cambridge
Biomedical Campus
Cambridge
CB2 0AA
United
Kingdom
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AstraZeneca PLC
INDEX
TO EXHIBITS
1.
Imfinzi approved in US for limited-stage SCLC
5 December 2024
Imfinzi approved
in the US as first and only immunotherapy
regimen for patients with limited-stage small cell lung
cancer
Based on ADRIATIC Phase III trial results which showed a 27%
reduction in the risk of death versus placebo
AstraZeneca's Imfinzi (durvalumab) has been approved in the US for
the treatment of adult patients with limited-stage small cell lung
cancer (LS-SCLC) whose disease has not progressed following
concurrent platinum-based chemotherapy and radiation
therapy.
The approval was granted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
after securing Priority
Review and
Breakthrough Therapy Designation. It was based on results from the
ADRIATIC Phase III trial which were presented during the Plenary
Session of the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
Annual Meeting and subsequently published in the New
England Journal of Medicine.
SCLC is a highly aggressive form of lung cancer.1 LS-SCLC
typically recurs and progresses rapidly, despite
initial response to standard-of-care chemotherapy and
radiotherapy.2-3 The
prognosis for LS-SCLC is particularly poor, as only 15-30% of
patients will be alive five years after
diagnosis.4
Suresh
Senan, PhD, Professor of Clinical Experimental Radiotherapy at the
Amsterdam University Medical Centers, The Netherlands, and
international coordinating investigator in the trial, said:
"Durvalumab is the first and only systemic treatment following
curative-intent, platinum-based chemoradiotherapy to show improved
survival for patients with this aggressive form of lung cancer.
This finding represents the first advance for this disease in four
decades. The ADRIATIC trial showed 57 percent of patients were
still alive at three years after being treated with durvalumab,
which underscores the practice-changing potential of this medicine
in this setting."
Dave Fredrickson, Executive Vice President,
Oncology Business Unit, AstraZeneca, said: "This approval
for Imfinzi marks a breakthrough for patients with
limited-stage small cell lung cancer, allowing them to receive
immunotherapy for the first time. The ADRIATIC trial showed an
improvement in median overall survival of 22.5 months, setting a
new benchmark. Imfinzi is now the only immunotherapy approved for
both limited- and extensive-stage small cell lung cancer,
underscoring our commitment to improving survival
rates."
Dusty Donaldson, Founder and Executive Director of LiveLung, said:
"This new treatment option is a game changer for patients with
limited-stage small cell lung cancer, a disease known for its high
rate of recurrence. Historically, more often than not, clinical
trials to identify new treatment options for this type of cancer
have failed to show benefit. We are therefore so excited that many
more people will now have the opportunity to access this
immunotherapy treatment that holds the potential to significantly
improve outcomes."
In the trial, Imfinzi reduced the risk of death by 27% versus
placebo (based on an overall survival [OS] hazard ratio [HR] of
0.73; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.57-0.93; p=0.0104). Estimated
median OS was 55.9 months for Imfinzi versus 33.4 months for placebo. An estimated
57% of patients treated with Imfinzi were alive at three years compared to 48%
for placebo.
Imfinzi also
reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 24% (based on a
progression-free survival [PFS] HR of 0.76; 95% CI 0.61-0.95;
p=0.0161) versus placebo. Median PFS was 16.6 months
for Imfinzi versus
9.2 months for placebo. An estimated 46% of patients treated
with Imfinzi had
not experienced disease progression at two years compared to 34%
for placebo.
The safety profile for Imfinzi was generally manageable and consistent with
the known profile of this medicine. No new safety signals were
observed.
Imfinzi is
also approved in Switzerland in this setting based on the ADRIATIC
results. Regulatory applications are currently under review in the
EU, Japan and several other countries in this
indication.
Notes
Small cell lung cancer
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among both men and
women, accounting for about one-fifth of all cancer
deaths.5-6 Lung
cancer is broadly split into non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and
SCLC, with about 15% of cases classified as
SCLC.7
LS-SCLC (Stage I-III) is classified as SCLC that is generally only
in one lung or one side of the chest.8 LS-SCLC
accounts for approximately 30% of SCLC diagnoses and the prognosis
remains poor despite curative-intent treatment with
standard-of-care cCRT.9
ADRIATIC
The ADRIATIC trial is a randomised, double-blind,
placebo-controlled, multi-centre global Phase III trial
evaluating Imfinzi monotherapy and Imfinzi plus Imjudo (tremelimumab) versus placebo in the
treatment of 730 patients with LS-SCLC who had not progressed
following cCRT. In the experimental arms, patients were randomised
to receive a 1500mg fixed dose of Imfinzi with or without Imjudo 75mg every four weeks for up to four
doses/cycles each, followed by Imfinzi every four weeks for up to 24
months.
The dual primary endpoints were PFS and OS
for Imfinzi monotherapy versus placebo. Key secondary
endpoints included OS and PFS for Imfinzi plus Imjudo versus placebo, safety and quality of life
measures. The trial included 164 centres in 19 countries across
North and South America, Europe and Asia.
Imfinzi
Imfinzi (durvalumab)
is a human monoclonal antibody that binds to the PD-L1 protein and
blocks the interaction of PD-L1 with the PD-1 and CD80 proteins,
countering the tumour's immune-evading tactics and releasing the
inhibition of immune responses.
In addition to its indication in LS-SCLC, Imfinzi is the only approved immunotherapy and the
global standard of care in the curative-intent setting of
unresectable, Stage III NSCLC in patients whose disease has not
progressed after CRT. Additionally, Imfinzi is approved as a perioperative treatment in
combination with neoadjuvant chemotherapy in resectable NSCLC, in
combination with chemotherapy (etoposide and either carboplatin or
cisplatin) for the treatment of extensive-stage SCLC, and in
combination with a short course of Imjudo and chemotherapy for the treatment of
metastatic NSCLC.
Imfinzi is
also approved in combination with chemotherapy (gemcitabine plus
cisplatin) in locally advanced or metastatic biliary tract cancer
and in combination with Imjudo in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma
(HCC). Imfinzi is also approved as a monotherapy in
unresectable HCC in Japan and the EU.
Imfinzi is
also approved in combination with chemotherapy (carboplatin and
paclitaxel) followed by Imfinzi monotherapy in primary advanced or recurrent
endometrial cancer that is mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) in the
US. In the EU, Imfinzi plus chemotherapy followed
by Lynparza (olaparib) and Imfinzi is approved for patients with mismatch
repair proficient (pMMR) advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer,
and Imfinzi plus chemotherapy followed
by Imfinzi alone is approved for patients with dMMR
disease. In Japan, Imfinzi plus chemotherapy followed
by Imfinzi monotherapy has also been approved as
1st-line treatment in primary advanced or recurrent endometrial
cancer, and Imfinzi plus chemotherapy followed
by Imfinzi and Lynparza has been approved for patients with pMMR
disease.
Imfinzi is
also under review by global regulatory authorities as perioperative
treatment in combination with neoadjuvant chemotherapy based on the
results of the NIAGARA Phase III trial, which demonstrated a
statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in
the primary endpoint of event-free survival and the key secondary
endpoint of OS versus neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
Since the first approval in May 2017, more than 374,000 patients
have been treated with Imfinzi. As part of a broad development
programme, Imfinzi is being tested as a single treatment and in
combinations with other anti-cancer treatments for patients with
SCLC, NSCLC, breast cancer, bladder cancer, several
gastrointestinal and gynaecologic cancers, and other solid
tumours.
AstraZeneca in lung cancer
AstraZeneca is working to bring patients with lung cancer closer to
cure through the detection and treatment of early-stage disease,
while also pushing the boundaries of science to improve outcomes in
the resistant and advanced settings. By defining new therapeutic
targets and investigating innovative approaches, the Company aims
to match medicines to the patients who can benefit
most.
The Company's comprehensive portfolio includes leading lung cancer
medicines and the next wave of innovations,
including Tagrisso (osimertinib) and Iressa (gefitinib); Imfinzi and Imjudo; Enhertu (trastuzumab deruxtecan) and datopotamab
deruxtecan in collaboration with Daiichi
Sankyo; Orpathys (savolitinib) in collaboration with
HUTCHMED; as well as a pipeline of potential new medicines and
combinations across diverse mechanisms of
action.
AstraZeneca is a founding member of the Lung Ambition Alliance, a
global coalition working to accelerate innovation and deliver
meaningful improvements for people with lung cancer, including and
beyond treatment.
AstraZeneca in immuno-oncology (IO)
AstraZeneca is a pioneer in introducing the concept of
immunotherapy into dedicated clinical areas of high unmet medical
need. The Company has a comprehensive and diverse IO portfolio and
pipeline anchored in immunotherapies designed to overcome evasion
of the anti-tumour immune response and stimulate the body's immune
system to attack tumours.
AstraZeneca strives to redefine cancer care and help transform
outcomes for patients with Imfinzi as a monotherapy and in combination
with Imjudo as well as other novel immunotherapies and
modalities. The Company is also investigating next-generation
immunotherapies like bispecific antibodies and therapeutics that
harness different aspects of immunity to target cancer, including
cell therapy and T-cell engagers.
AstraZeneca is pursuing an innovative clinical strategy to bring
IO-based therapies that deliver long-term survival to new settings
across a wide range of cancer types. The Company is focused on
exploring novel combination approaches to help prevent treatment
resistance and drive longer immune responses. With an extensive
clinical programme, the Company also champions the use of IO
treatment in earlier disease stages, where there is the greatest
potential for cure.
AstraZeneca in oncology
AstraZeneca is leading a revolution in oncology with the ambition
to provide cures for cancer in every form, following the science to
understand cancer and all its complexities to discover, develop and
deliver life-changing medicines to patients.
The Company's focus is on some of the most challenging cancers. It
is through persistent innovation that AstraZeneca has built one of
the most diverse portfolios and pipelines in the industry, with the
potential to catalyse changes in the practice of medicine and
transform the patient experience.
AstraZeneca has the vision to redefine cancer care and, one day,
eliminate cancer as a cause of death.
AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca (LSE/STO/Nasdaq: AZN) is a global, science-led
biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery,
development, and commercialisation of prescription medicines in
Oncology, Rare Diseases, and BioPharmaceuticals, including
Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism, and Respiratory &
Immunology. Based in Cambridge, UK, AstraZeneca's innovative
medicines are sold in more than 125 countries and used by millions
of patients worldwide. Please visit astrazeneca.com and
follow the Company on social
media @AstraZeneca.
Contacts
For details on how to contact the Investor Relations Team, please
click here.
For Media contacts, click here.
References
1. National Cancer
Institute. NCI Dictionary - Small Cell Lung Cancer. Available
at: https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/small-cell-lung-cancer. Accessed
December 2024.
2. Qin A, Kalemkerian GP. Treatment
Options for Relapsed Small-Cell Lung Cancer: What Progress Have We
Made? J Oncol Pract. 2018;14(6):369-370.
3. Cheng Y, et al. Durvalumab
after Chemoradiotherapy in Limited-Stage Small-Cell Lung
Cancer. N Engl J
Med. 2024;391(14):1313-1327.
4. Bebb DG, et al. Symptoms and
Experiences with Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Mixed Methods Study of
Patients and Caregivers. Pulm Ther. 2023;9:435-450.
5. World Health
Organization. International Agency for Research on Cancer. Lung
Fact Sheet. Available at: https://gco.iarc.who.int/today/en/fact-sheets-cancers. Accessed
December 2024.
6. World Health
Organization. International Agency for Research on Cancer. World
Fact Sheet. Available at: https://gco.iarc.who.int/media/globocan/factsheets/populations/900-world-fact-sheet.pdf. Accessed
December 2024.
7. LUNGevity
Foundation. Types of Lung Cancer. Available at: https://www.lungevity.org/for-patients-caregivers/lung-cancer-101/types-of-lung-cancer. Accessed
December 2024.
8. American Cancer
Society. Small Cell Lung Cancer Stages. Available
at: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/lung-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/staging-sclc.html. Accessed
December 2024.
9. Senan S, et al. ADRIATIC: A phase
III trial of durvalumab ± tremelimumab after concurrent
chemoradiation for patients with limited stage small cell lung
cancer. Ann Oncol. 2019;30(suppl. 2):ii25.
Adrian Kemp
Company Secretary
AstraZeneca PLC
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf
by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
Date:
05 December 2024
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By: /s/
Adrian Kemp
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Name:
Adrian Kemp
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Title:
Company Secretary
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