AstraZeneca's Tagrisso Gains EU Approval for Unresectable Locally Advanced EGFR-Mutated NSCLC, Expanding Treatment Landscape

AstraZeneca's (AZN.US) cancer drug Tagrisso has received EU approval for the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients with specific genetic mutations, significantly expanding the drug’s revenue potential as the company’s best-selling cancer therapy. Studies show that the treatment reduces the risk of disease progression or death by 84% in patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer who are not eligible for surgery.

Specifically, this breakthrough treatment outcome prompted the EU to make an approval decision. Tagrisso has demonstrated significant efficacy in patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer who have specific genetic mutations and are not suitable for surgery.

AstraZeneca's CEO Pascal Soriot is deeply encouraged by this. He is committed to nearly doubling the company’s sales by 2020, and anticancer drugs are the key driver in achieving this goal.

It is understood that lung cancer is usually diagnosed at a late stage, and Tagrisso specifically targets the most common type of lung cancer—non-small cell lung cancer.

In addition, AstraZeneca noted on Monday that the patient population suitable for Tagrisso treatment also includes those whose condition did not worsen during chemoradiotherapy.