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(Alliance News) - Hutchmed China Ltd and AstraZeneca PLC on Monday said preliminary results from the Savannah phase 2 trial showed a promising objective response rate, and has moved the drug into phase 3 trials.
The Hong Kong-based biopharmaceutical company said the trial showed osimertinib, branded as Tagrisso, coupled with savolitinib had an objective response rate of 49% in non-small cell lung cancer patients. Both Tagrisso and savolitinib are experimental drugs.
Hutchmed and AstraZeneca have an agreement to jointly develop and commercialise savolitinib, where Hutchmed will lead development and marketing in China, with Astra taking care with development outside of China.
A global phase 3 trial, Saffron, is now underway to further assess the Tagrisso and savolitinib combination.
Hutchmed Chief Executive and Chief Scientific Officer Weiguo Su said: "It is encouraging to see the savolitinib and Tagrisso combination regimen progress into a global Phase 3 study, Saffron, with a well-supported patient selection strategy that could benefit more patients than previously recognized."
Cristian Massacesi, chief medical officer and oncology chief development officer at AstraZeneca, added: "The results from Savannah suggest savolitinib added to Tagrisso at the time of disease progression could possibly provide these biomarker-selected patients with a potentially less toxic, more effective treatment option. We look forward to better understanding the potential of the Tagrisso plus savolitinib regimen in this trial and in the Saffron Phase 3 trial."
Earlier on Monday, AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo Co Ltd said their drug conjugate Enhertu has been approved for more patients in the US.
Now, the drug can be used for patients with "metastatic human epidermal growth factor receptor [HER2]-low breast cancer who have received a prior chemotherapy in the metastatic setting or developed disease recurrence during or within six months of completing adjuvant chemotherapy," AstraZeneca explained.
Additionally, Hutchmed announced that phase 3 of its fruquintinib FRESCO-2 study met its primary endpoint and as a result, the company intends to submit marketing authorisations as soon as possible.
Shares in AstraZeneca were down 0.8% at 10,778.00 pence and shares in Hutchmed were up 5.2% at 231.00 pence in London on Monday.
By Dominique Pretorius; dominiquepretorius@alliancenews.com
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