According to the latest data, AstraZeneca conducted a study on patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have an EGFR mutation, in which Tagrisso (osimertinib) was used in combination with chemotherapy as a first-line therapy. The Phase III clinical trial (FLAURA2) demonstrated that this combination increases overall survival by an average of four years compared to Tagrisso monotherapy and reduces the risk of death by 23%.
NSCLC is the most common form of lung cancer and one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality. EGFR mutations are present in 10–15% of patients in the United States and Europe, and in 30–40% of patients in Asia. The study included patients who were untreated before and had locally advanced (stage IIIB–IIIC) or metastatic (stage IV) EGFR-mutated disease. Osimertinib is a third-generation EGFR receptor inhibitor. It has demonstrated proven clinical efficacy in NSCLC, including against central nervous system metastases.
Tagrisso monotherapy is approved in over 120 countries, including the United States, European Union, China, and Japan. It is used as a first-line treatment for advanced and metastatic EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer. Osimertinib is also effective across all stages of the disease, including unresectable forms. The FLAURA2 study demonstrated that the combination of osimertinib and chemotherapy increased median overall survival from 37.6 months to 47.5 months. In the combination treatment group, the 3-year overall survival rate was 63.1%, and the 4-year survival rate was 49.1%, significantly exceeding the corresponding rates in the monotherapy group (50.9% and 40.8%, respectively).
“Over the past decade, Tagrisso has consistently demonstrated high median survival and a well-established safety profile across all stages of NSCLC. This further reinforces its role as the cornerstone therapy for EGFR-mutated lung cancer,” said Susan Galbraith, Executive Vice President, Oncology R&D at AstraZeneca.
David Planchard, Doctor of Medicine and thoracic oncologist at the Gustave Roussy Institute of Oncology, who was the principal investigator of the study, said: “The main goal of treating lung cancer is to prolong the patient’s life while maintaining quality of life. These results indicate that this combination can achieve both goals and confirm that osimertinib, either with chemotherapy or alone, is the standard of care for patients with EGFR-mutated lung cancer. With these two highly effective options, doctors can tailor the treatment individually and achieve the best outcome for the patient.”
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