AstraZeneca lung cancer drug proves able to shrink EGFR mutation-positive tumours

AstraZeneca and its partner Hutchison China MedTech, also known as Chi-Med, have announced positive data for savolitinib in combination with either AstraZeneca’s Tagrisso or Iressa in shrinking the tumours of lung cancer patients whose disease had progressed after treatment with approved drugs.

In one study, savolitinib produced a partial response in 28% of participants with EGFR-mutated advanced non-small cell lung cancer who had previously been given Tagrisso, while it generated a 31% response in those previously treated with Iressa. Partial response is defined as a reduction in size in measurable tumours by at least 30%

Savolitinib works by targeting c-MET, an enzyme which acts abnormally in many tumours, limiting their ability to develop resistance mechanisms – a trait which often foils the attempts of drugs like Tagrisso and Iressa in EGFR-mutated cancers. When these therapies are used in combination, this can be circumvented.

"We are committed to developing innovative medicines to overcome the key drivers of cancer mechanisms of resistance and are strategically focused on developing effective combinations. The latest results for savolitinib in combination with osimertinib and gefitinib support our approach in collaboration with Chi-Med," said Susan Galbraith, head of Oncology Research & Early Development at AstraZeneca.