The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new therapy for the best-selling anti-cancer drug Imfinzi from British pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca on Thursday (August 15th).
According to media reports on Friday, the FDA has approved Imfinzi as an additional treatment for adult non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients after surgery.
About one-fifth of all cancer deaths are attributed to lung cancer. Lung cancer is roughly divided into non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer (SCLC), with approximately 15% of cases classified as small cell lung cancer and the remaining 85% as non-small cell lung cancer.
Imfinzi, as a human monoclonal antibody, helps activate existing anti-cancer immune cells in patients' bodies, more accurately blocking the ability of tumors to evade and suppress the immune system, while enhancing the body's anti-cancer immune response, providing an alternative to chemotherapy.
The data also shows that the drug improved the overall survival rate of a type of lung cancer patient.
The drug was officially approved in the United States in 2017 for the treatment of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients who cannot undergo surgical resection. The cancer cells of these patients are usually unable to be surgically removed, and the disease does not progress after platinum based radiotherapy and chemotherapy, making Imfinzi an alternative immunotherapy.
Earlier this Thursday, AstraZeneca released a press release stating that it has received FDA's priority review for the use of Imfinzi in small cell lung cancer patients with a limited time limit. The FDA's regulatory decision is expected to be officially implemented in the fourth quarter of 2024.
This news pushed the company's stock price to a historic high of £ 132.18 ($170.13) per share during the day, closing at £ 131.66 per share.
Earlier this month, AstraZeneca's market value exceeded £ 200 billion for the first time, firmly ranking as the highest valued listed company in the UK. In US dollar terms, AstraZeneca's market value ranks seventh in Europe.