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(Alliance News) - AstraZeneca PLC on Friday said a new dosing option for its lung cancer drug Imfinzi has been approved in the EU and the UK.
The FTSE 100 Anglo-Swedish drug manufacturer said an additional dosing option of 1,500mg every four weeks of Imfinzi - or durvalumab - has been approved to be administered to adults with unresectable non-small cell lung cancer and whose disease has not progressed following platinum-based chemoradiation therapy.
It added the new option extends dosing from two to four weeks, reducing medical visits and improving patient convenience
Astra said the approval was based on data from several Imfinzi clinical trials - including the Pacific Phase 3 trial and the Caspian Phase 3 trial - and follows an accelerated assessment by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency, which recommended approval in December 2020. It noted that the CHMP recommendation and approval also applies to the UK.
"Less-frequent dosing is important for cancer patients, and may be particularly relevant right now for those suffering from lung cancer, who are especially vulnerable to complications from Covid-19," said Luis Paz-Ares, principal investigator in the Caspian Phase III trial
Shares in AstraZeneca were trading 0.2% lower at 7,541.00 pence each on Friday morning in London.
By Ife Taiwo; ifetaiwo@alliancenews.com
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