AstraZeneca Reports Positive Data on Breast Cancer Drug

(Bloomberg) -- AstraZeneca Plc reported data from a late-stage trial showing its drug Enhertu helps patients with a type of breast cancer live longer, potentially expanding treatment options for the disease.

Enhertu boosted survival rates in patients with HER2-low unresectable and metastatic breast cancer, the U.K. drugmaker said Monday. It’s the first time such a therapy has shown a benefit in patients with that form of breast cancer, AstraZeneca said. 

The shares rose as much as 2.2% in early London trading.

The results “could reshape how breast cancer is classified and treated,” Susan Galbraith, the company’s executive vice president of oncology research and development, wrote in the statement.

Enhertu is the latest generation in a family of treatments that attack tumors bearing the cancer-linked protein called HER2. In 2019, AstraZeneca decided to enter into a deal with Japan’s Daiichi Sankyo Co. worth up to $6.9 billion on the drug. The company is evaluating its potential in treating gastric, lung, colorectal and other cancers. 

The treatment demonstrated a significant improvement in progression-free survival -- a measure of how long a patient can live without the disease worsening -- as well as overall survival, the company said. The safety profile of Enhertu was consistent with previous clinical trials, with no new concerns identified, the company said.

The data will be presented at an upcoming medical meeting and shared with global health authorities.

In September, Astra released data showing that Enhertu had a significant edge over Roche Holding AG’s Kadcyla in keeping breast cancer patients alive without their tumors worsening.

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