AstraZeneca continues to redefine cancer treatment at the 2019 ASCO Annual Meeting

Data focused on breaking treatment boundaries, treating patients earlier in their disease, and raising the bar for better outcomes

Presentations highlight Lynparza’s benefit in PARP-mediated cancers and Imfinzi’s three-year overall survival in unresectable, Stage III non-small cell lung cancer  

AstraZeneca will present new research across an industry-leading Oncology portfolio, including data for its transformational cancer medicines Lynparza (olaparib) and Imfinzi (durvalumab) at the 2019 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago, US, 31 May to 4 June 2019.

In all, the Company will present 93 abstracts spanning multiple tumour types, including 12 oral presentations with one plenary session and four late-breakers. Highlights include:

• Late-breaking results from the Lynparza POLO trial, the first positive Phase III trial of any PARP inhibitor in germline BRCA-mutated (gBRCAm) metastatic pancreatic cancer, a devastating diagnosis with critical unmet medical need. This is the first Phase III trial to validate a targeted treatment in a biomarker-selected population of pancreatic cancer.

• Results of the Phase III SOLO-3 trial highlighting the efficacy for Lynparza monotherapy vs. standard-of-care chemotherapy in treating patients with gBRCAm advanced ovarian cancer who had two or more prior lines of treatment. This data underscores Lynparza’s clinical benefit irrespective of line of treatment for women with BRCAm advanced ovarian cancer and the importance of knowing BRCA status at diagnosis.

• Three-year overall survival (OS) data from the Phase III PACIFIC trial providing new evidence of the long-term survival benefit for Imfinzi in unresectable, Stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in patients whose disease had not progressed following chemoradiation therapy. Imfinzi is the only immunotherapy to demonstrate significant OS benefits in this curative-intent setting, and this data reaffirms the PACIFIC regimen as the standard of care for these patients.

Dave Fredrickson, Executive Vice President, Oncology, said: “AstraZeneca continues to break traditional treatment boundaries through new targeted approaches and the prioritisation of earlier intervention. This year at ASCO, our data for Lynparza in BRCA-mutated metastatic pancreatic cancer and for Imfinzi in unresectable Stage III non-small cell lung cancer illustrate our ambition to change medical practice for better patient outcomes.”

Breaking treatment boundaries

AstraZeneca is committed to redefining disease treatment for patient populations with unmet needs. This will be evidenced at the ASCO meeting for patients with PARP-mediated tumours, HER2-low expressing tumours, and AKT-mutated tumours.

The plenary presentation of results from the Phase III POLO trial will detail the progression-free survival (PFS) and important clinical benefit of Lynparza in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer, a population that has seen very little treatment progress over the past 40 years (Abstract #LBA4).

New data on Lynparza will also be shared in advanced ovarian cancer, including the results of the Phase III SOLO-3 trial highlighting the efficacy for Lynparza monotherapy vs. standard-of-care chemotherapy in treating patients with gBRCAm advanced ovarian cancer who had two or more prior lines of treatment (Abstract #5506).

Furthermore, the Phase II TOPARP-B trial, sponsored by the Institute of Cancer Research (UK), will highlight the anti-tumour activity of Lynparza in patients with heavily-pretreated metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer with DDR gene defects (Abstract #5005). The Phase II GeparOLA trial, conducted by the German Breast Group and German AGO-B Breast Study Group, will help define the safety and efficacy of Lynparza, compared to platinum-based chemotherapy, in the neoadjuvant setting in HER2-negative early breast cancer and in patients with homologous recombination deficiency (Abstract #506).

The design of the Phase III DESTINY-Breast04 trial evaluating trastuzumab deruxtecan (DS-8201) in metastatic breast cancer with HER2-low expressing tumours will be presented at this year’s ASCO meeting (Abstract #TPS1102). The antibody drug conjugate (ADC) co-developed with Daiichi Sankyo has the potential to redefine breast cancer treatment. Two publications in Lancet Oncology recently highlighted the Phase I dose-expansion results for trastuzumab deruxtecan in HER2-positive metastatic breast and gastric cancers.

In addition, data will be presented from the Phase II FAKTION trial, sponsored by Velindre NHS Trust, on the combination of the AKT inhibitor capivasertib (AZD5363) plus Faslodex (fulvestrant) in patients with relapsed metastatic oestrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer (Abstract #1005). AKT mutations occur across several different cancers and may be a target for treatment tailored to tumour genes rather than cancer types.

Treating patients earlier in their disease

AstraZeneca made a significant breakthrough in the treatment of NSCLC beginning in 2017 with the Phase III PACIFIC trial demonstrating unprecedented PFS and subsequently OS benefits for patients with unresectable, Stage III NSCLC treated with Imfinzi vs. standard of care. At this year’s ASCO meeting, AstraZeneca will provide new evidence of the long-term survival benefit of Imfinzi with a three-year OS update (Abstract #8526).

Sub-analysis presentations of Phase III data from SOLO-1, the only trial of a PARP inhibitor to demonstrate improvement in PFS for women with BRCAm advanced ovarian cancer as a 1st-line maintenance treatment, will reinforce the potential of using Lynparza earlier in the treatment pathway (Abstract #5539).

Raising the bar for better outcomes

New data from the Phase III FLAURA trial will explore clinical outcomes associated with the detection of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations in plasma at three or six weeks after starting treatment with Tagrisso (osimertinib) (Abstract #9020). With the presentation of the Phase II SAVANNAH trial design, AstraZeneca will explain how it will explore the combination of Tagrisso and savolitinib to potentially overcome MET-driven EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) resistance following Tagrisso treatment in EGFR-mutated NSCLC (Abstract #TPS9119).

Despite recent therapeutic progress, platinum-resistant ovarian cancer remains a therapeutic challenge. Results of a multicenter, double-blind Phase II trial conducted by the Princess Margaret, California, Chicago and Mayo Phase II Consortia will show for the first time increased OS data with the Wee-1 inhibitor adavosertib when associated with the antimetabolite medicine gemcitabine (Abstract #5518).

Key AstraZeneca presentations at ASCO 2019

In addition to the scientific presentations and press releases planned at the ASCO meeting, AstraZeneca and its partner MSD (MSD: known as Merck & Co., Inc. inside the US and Canada) will host a press briefing on Sunday 2 June, on Lynparza. For more information, please contact AstraZeneca Global Media Relations.

About AstraZeneca in Oncology

AstraZeneca has a deep-rooted heritage in Oncology and offers a quickly-growing portfolio of new medicines that has the potential to transform patients’ lives and the Company’s future. With at least six new medicines to be launched between 2014 and 2020, and a broad pipeline of small molecules and biologics in development, we are committed to advance Oncology as a key growth driver for AstraZeneca focused on lung, ovarian, breast and blood cancers. In addition to our core capabilities, we actively pursue innovative partnerships and investments that accelerate the delivery of our strategy as illustrated by our investment in Acerta Pharma in haematology.

By harnessing the power of four scientific platforms - Immuno-Oncology, Tumour Drivers and Resistance, DNA Damage Response and Antibody Drug Conjugates - and by championing the development of personalised combinations, AstraZeneca has the vision to redefine cancer treatment and one day eliminate cancer as a cause of death.

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialisation of prescription medicines, primarily for the treatment of diseases in three therapy areas - Oncology, Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism and Respiratory. AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. For more information, please visit astrazeneca.com and follow us on Twitter @AstraZeneca.