close
close

This drug promises a longer life for bladder cancer patients


Next post

Imfinzi shows potential in the treatment of bladder cancer

What is the story

AstraZeneca's drug Imfinzi has shown significant potential to prolong the lives of patients with bladder cancer.

This breakthrough could potentially create a new market for the drug.

An interim analysis of a late-stage study found that when used alongside standard treatment, such as surgery, Imfinzi reduced the risk of disease recurrence by 32% in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

The study involved 1,063 patients and found that the drug, when combined with treatments such as chemotherapy, also reduced the risk of death by a quarter.

A turning point in the treatment of bladder cancer

This is the first time that an immunotherapy has significantly improved overall survival in patients with this type of bladder cancer. The results, if approved, could revolutionize patient care.

Susan Galbraith, Executive Vice President of Oncology R&D at AstraZeneca, explained that about half of patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer relapse after chemotherapy and surgery.

She described the treatment method as “transformative” and gave patients “the chance to live a normal life for years to come.”

Stocks recover after Imfinzi’s success

The positive data from the Imfinzi study boosted AstraZeneca after the company's shares had their worst week in 14 months.

The decline was due to disappointing news about the experimental lung cancer drug being developed with Daiichi Sankyo Co.

The results on bladder cancer were presented at the Congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology in Barcelona and in New England Journal of Medicine.

Approval of Imfinzi could increase AstraZeneca’s annual sales

Imfinzi, which is already approved for several other cancers, including bile duct, lung and liver cancer, generated over $1.1 billion in the last quarter alone, making it AstraZeneca's second-largest oncology donor.

If approved for this new patient group, it could potentially generate an additional $500 million per year in revenue for AstraZeneca, Bloomberg Intelligence Sam Fazeli.

AstraZeneca's ongoing studies on Imfinzi

AstraZeneca is currently conducting four studies evaluating Imfinzi in different types of bladder cancer.

Dave Fredrickson, executive vice president of AstraZeneca's oncology business unit, called the combined market for all these indications a “blockbuster and great business opportunity” for the company.

In the bladder cancer study, one group received standard treatment (chemotherapy and surgery), while another group received standard treatment and Imfinzi both before and after surgery.

You may also like...