Study Shows Iressa (Gefitinib) Is As Effective As Docetaxel In Pre-Treated Advanced NSCLC
Largest Phase III study ever reported comparing two active treatments in patients with pre-treated advanced NSCLC
LONDON, Sept. 5, 2007-Data presented today at the World
Conference on Lung Cancer in Korea by Professor Jean-Yves
Douillard, Centre Rene Gauducheau, France, Principal Investigator
of the INTEREST study, show that patients with non-small cell lung
cancer (NSCLC) treated with the oral anti-cancer drug IRESSA
(gefitinib) had equivalent (non-inferior) survival to those treated
with intravenous docetaxel. In addition, IRESSA demonstrated a more
favourable tolerability profile and superior quality of life for
patients versus docetaxel.
This is the first time an EGFR-TKI, such as IRESSA, has proven
non-inferiority for overall survival relative to chemotherapy in a
head-to-head phase III study in patients with pre-treated advanced
NSCLC.
The INTEREST (IRESSA Non-small-cell lung cancer Trial Evaluating REsponse and Survival against Taxotere) study recruited 1466 patients and compared overall survival between IRESSA and docetaxel, in the largest phase III study ever reported comparing two active treatments for pre-treated advanced NSCLC.
Dr Edward Kim Assistant Professor of Medicine, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, and Co-Principal Investigator for the INTEREST study said: “This large study validates the role of targeted therapy when compared to chemotherapy in previously treated advanced NSCLC patients. The study showed that IRESSA was as effective as docetaxel but with a more favourable tolerability profile, resulting in significantly more IRESSA-treated patients experiencing clinically important improvements in quality of life compared with patients who received docetaxel. Clearly, improving efficacy while minimizing toxicity is the direction advanced cancer therapy is going.”
AstraZeneca is sharing these data with regulatory agencies.
IRESSA is currently approved for the treatment of advanced NSCLC in 36 countries. Worldwide sales of IRESSA for the first six months of 2007 reached $113 million.
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Notes To Editors
About Lung Cancer
Over 1.35 million new cases of lung cancer are diagnosed every year
and nearly 1.2 million people die as a result of this devastating
disease - more than breast, colon and prostate cancer
combined.
If lung cancer is detected at early stages, before it has spread to
other organs or lymph nodes, around half of patients can survive
for five years or more. However, few lung cancers are found at this
early stage and it is normally diagnosed at the advanced stage,
when five-year survival falls to approximately 15%.
About AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca is a major international healthcare business engaged in
the research, development, manufacture and marketing of
prescription pharmaceuticals and the supply of healthcare services.
It is one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies with
healthcare sales of $26.47 billion and leading positions in sales
of gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, neuroscience, respiratory,
oncology and infection products. AstraZeneca is listed in the Dow
Jones Sustainability Index (Global) as well as the FTSE4 Good
Index.
For more information about AstraZeneca, please visit: www.astrazeneca.com
IRESSA is a trademark of the AstraZeneca group of
companies.
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