10 April 2020: “The ADAURA Phase III trial for Tagrisso (osimertinib) in the adjuvant treatment of patients with Stage IB, II and IIIA epidermal growth factor receptor-mutated (EGFRm) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with complete tumour resection will be unblinded early following a recommendation from an Independent Data Monitoring Committee (IDMC) based on its determination of overwhelming efficacy.”
José Baselga, Executive Vice President, Oncology R&D, said: “We are thrilled by the recommendation to unblind the Phase III ADAURA trial much earlier than expected and are incredibly excited with these unprecedented results in patients with early-stage EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer. Lung cancer is a devastating diagnosis and for the first time an EGFR-targeted medicine can now provide the hope of cure.”
The primary endpoint of the ADAURA Phase III trial is illness-free survival (DFS). Tagrisso was tested against placebo for up to three years of diagnosis. The experiment will move on testing the secondary outcome of overall survival. The IDMC did not pose any new health issues in its correspondence to AstraZeneca. The data will be discussed at a scientific meeting to be held next.
“Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among both men and women, accounting for about one-fifth of all cancer deaths, more than breast, prostate and colorectal cancers combined.Lung cancer is broadly split into NSCLC and small cell lung cancer, with 80-85% classified as NSCLC. Around 10-15% of NSCLC patients in the US and Europe, and 30-40% of patients in Asia have EGFRm NSCLC.These patients are particularly sensitive to treatment with EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) which block the cell-signalling pathways that drive the growth of tumour cells. Based on AstraZeneca estimates, just over 60% of NSCLC patients are diagnosed with early-stage (Stage I-III) disease.”
“ADAURA is a randomised, double-blinded, global, placebo-controlled Phase III trial in the adjuvant treatment of 682 patients with Stage IB, II, IIIA EGFRm NSCLC with complete tumour resection and optional, standard post-operative adjuvant chemotherapy. In the experimental arm, patients were treated with Tagrisso 80mg once-daily oral tablets for three years or until disease recurrence. The trial enrolled in more than 200 centres across more than 20 countries, including the US, in Europe, South America, Asia and the Middle East. The primary endpoint is DFS; data readout was originally anticipated in 2022.”
“Tagrisso (osimertinib) is a third-generation, irreversible EGFR-TKI designed to inhibit both EGFR-sensitising and EGFR T790M-resistance mutations, with clinical activity against CNS metastases. Tagrisso 40mg and 80mg once-daily oral tablets have now received approval in 80 countries, including the US, Japan, China and the EU, for 1st-line EGFRm advanced NSCLC, and in 87 countries, including the US, Japan, China and the EU, for 2nd-line use in patients with EGFR T790M mutation-positive advanced NSCLC. Tagrisso is also being developed in the locally advanced unresectable setting (LAURA), in combination with chemotherapy (FLAURA2) in the metastatic setting, and with potential new medicines to address resistance to EGFR-TKIs (SAVANNAH, ORCHARD).”
“AstraZeneca has a comprehensive portfolio of approved and potential new medicines in late-stage development for the treatment of different forms of lung cancer spanning different histologies, several stages of disease, lines of therapy and modes of action. AstraZeneca’s aim to address the unmet needs of patients with EGFRm tumours as a genetic driver of disease, which occur in 10-15% of NSCLC patients in the US and EU and 30-40% of NSCLC patients in Asia, with the approved medicines Iressa (gefitinib) and Tagrisso, and its ongoing Phase III trials ADAURA, LAURA, and FLAURA2.”
