a7460t
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 June 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.
Update on Imfinzi ADJUVANT BR.31 trial
25 June 2024
Update on ADJUVANT BR.31 Phase III trial
of Imfinzi in
non-small cell lung cancer
High-level results from the ADJUVANT BR.31 Phase III trial,
sponsored by the Canadian Cancer Trials Group (CCTG),
showed Imfinzi (durvalumab) did not achieve statistical
significance for the primary endpoint of disease-free survival
(DFS) versus placebo in early-stage (IB-IIIA) non-small cell lung
cancer (NSCLC) after complete tumour resection in patients whose
tumours express PD-L1 on 25% or more tumour
cells.
Susan Galbraith, Executive Vice President, Oncology R&D,
AstraZeneca, said: "We are disappointed in the
ADJUVANT BR.31 results. Imfinzi has
helped change the treatment landscape and achieved multiple
positive Phase III trials for patients with earlier stages of lung
cancer. We
are committed to addressing the remaining unmet need in lung cancer
through our broad development programme."
The safety profile for Imfinzi was consistent with its known safety
profile, and no new safety concerns were reported. The data will be
shared at a forthcoming medical meeting.
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 chemoradiotherapy
based on the PACIFIC Phase III trial.
Imfinzi is
also being investigated as monotherapy and in
combinations in
several other early-stage lung cancer settings,
including in
medically inoperable or unresected Stage I-II NSCLC (PACIFIC-4) and
unresectable, Stage III NSCLC (PACIFIC-5, 8 and
9).
Notes
Lung cancer
Each year, there are an estimated 2.4 million people diagnosed with
lung cancer globally. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer
death among both men and women, accounting for about one-fifth of
all cancer deaths.1-2 Lung
cancer is broadly split into NSCLC and small cell lung cancer
(SCLC), with 80-85% of patients diagnosed with
NSCLC.3-4
The majority of NSCLC patients are diagnosed with advanced disease
while approximately 25-30% present with resectable disease at
diagnosis.5-6 Early-stage
lung cancer diagnoses are often only made when the cancer is found
on imaging for an unrelated condition.7-8
The majority of patients with resectable disease eventually develop
recurrence despite complete tumour resection and adjuvant
chemotherapy.9 Only
around 58% of patients with Stage IB disease will survive for five
years. This decreases to 36-46% for patients with Stage II and 24%
for patients with Stage IIIA disease, reflecting a high unmet
medical need.10
ADJUVANT BR.31
ADJUVANT BR.31 is a randomised, multi-centre, double-blind Phase
III trial sponsored by CCTG evaluating Imfinzi in the adjuvant treatment of 1,415 patients
with Stage IB (≥4cm), II or IIIA (Seventh Edition AJCC Cancer
Staging Manual) NSCLC following complete tumour resection with or
without adjuvant chemotherapy. AstraZeneca
provided Imfinzi and support for the trial. Patients were
randomised 2:1 to receive a 20mg/kg IV infusion
of Imfinzi or placebo every four weeks for up to 48
weeks.
The trial is being conducted at 269 centres across 19 countries and
regions including in Canada, the US, Australia, Europe and Asia.
The primary endpoint is DFS in patients whose tumours express PD-L1
on 25% or more tumour cells and do not have known common EGFR
mutations or ALK rearrangements. Key secondary endpoints
include DFS in patients whose tumours express PD-L1 on 1% or
more of cells and in patients regardless of PD-L1 tumour cell
expression status, overall survival and safety. DFS is defined as
time from randomisation to date of first recurrence, new cancer or
death from any cause and is recognised as an important clinical
measure by both physicians and patients.
Canadian Cancer Trials Group (CCTG)
CCTG is an academic cancer clinical trials research cooperative
that runs Phase I-III trials to test anti-cancer and supportive
therapies at over 85 hospitals and cancer centres across Canada.
From the operations centre at Queen's University, CCTG has
supported more than 600 trials enrolling 100,000 patients from 40
countries on 6 continents through a global network of 20,000
investigators and clinical trial staff. CCTG is a national program
of the Canadian Cancer Society, and their aim is to improve
survival and quality of life for all people with
cancer.
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.
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 chemoradiation
therapy. Imfinzi is also approved for the treatment of
extensive-stage SCLC and in combination with a short course
of Imjudo (tremelimumab) and
chemotherapy for the treatment of metastatic
NSCLC.
Imfinzi also
demonstrated statistically significant and clinically meaningful
event-free survival results in patients with resectable early-stage
NSCLC based on the AEGEAN Phase III trial. Imfinzi in combination with neoadjuvant chemotherapy
before surgery and as adjuvant monotherapy after surgery is
approved for patients in Switzerland based on this
trial.
In limited-stage SCLC, Imfinzi demonstrated statistically significant and
clinically meaningful improvements in the dual primary endpoints of
OS and progression-free survival (PFS) compared to placebo in
patients who had not progressed following standard-of-care
concurrent chemoradiotherapy in the ADRIATIC Phase III
trial.
In addition to its indications in lung
cancers, Imfinzi is 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 and in combination with
chemotherapy (carboplatin plus paclitaxel) followed
by Imfinzi monotherapy in primary advanced or recurrent
endometrial cancer that is mismatch repair deficient in the
US.
Since the first approval in May 2017, more than 220,000 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, 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. World Health
Organization. International Agency for Research on Cancer. Lung
Fact Sheet. Available at: https://gco.iarc.who.int/media/globocan/factsheets/cancers/15-trachea-bronchus-and-lung-fact-sheet.pdf.
Accessed June 2024.
2. 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 June 2024.
3. LUNGevity
Foundation. Types of Lung Cancer. Available at: https://www.lungevity.org/for-patients-caregivers/lung-cancer-101/types-of-lung-cancer.
Accessed June 2024.
4. Cheema PK, et al. Perspectives on
treatment advances for stage III locally advanced unresectable
non-small-cell lung cancer. Curr Oncol. 2019;26(1):37-42.
5. Cagle PT, et al. Lung Cancer Biomarkers: Present Status and
Future Developments. Arch Pathol Lab
Med. 2013;137(9):1191-1198.
6. Le Chevalier T. Adjuvant
Chemotherapy for Resectable Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Where is it
Going? Ann Oncol. 2010;21(suppl
7):vii196-198.
7. Sethi S, et al. Incidental Nodule
Management - Should There Be a Formal
Process? J Thorac
Dis. 2016:8(Suppl
6);S494-S497.
8. LUNGevity
Foundation. Screening and Early Detection. Available
at: https://lungevity.org/for-patients-caregivers/lung-cancer-101/screening-early-detection..
Accessed June 2024.
9. Pignon JP, et
al. Lung
Adjuvant Cisplatin Evaluation: A Pooled Analysis by the LACE
Collaborative Group. J Clin
Oncol. 2008;26(21):3552-3559.
10. Goldstraw P,
et al. The IASLC Lung Cancer Staging Project: proposals for
the revision of the TNM stage groupings in the forthcoming
(seventh) edition of the TNM Classification of malignant
tumours. J Thorac
Oncol. 2007;2(8):706-14.
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:
25 June 2024
|
By: /s/
Adrian Kemp
|
|
Name:
Adrian Kemp
|
|
Title:
Company Secretary
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