The company’s phase 3 study showed treatment with Tagrisso reduced the risk of death by over half.

AstraZeneca’s Tagrisso has delivered positive results from its pivotal ADAURA phase 3. The study demonstrated a clinically meaningful improvement in overall survival (OS), compared to the placebo among patients with early-stage epidermal growth factor receptor-mutated (EGFRm) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after complete tumour resection with curative intent.

Notably, Tagrisso – also known as osimertinib – reduced the risk of death by 51% compared to the placebo across each of the two analysed populations.

Throughout the primary analysis population, around 85% of patients treated with Tagrisso were alive at five years compared to 73% on the placebo. Furthermore, across the overall trial population, an estimated 88% of patients treated with Tagrisso were alive at five years compared to 78% within the placebo group.

Median OS, however, was not yet reached in either treatment group. Meanwhile, patients on a placebo that recurred with metastatic disease had the opportunity to receive Tagrisso as a follow-up therapy.

Susan Galbraith, executive vice president, of oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, reflected: “Tagrisso cut the risk of death by more than half in the adjuvant setting, further establishing this transformative medicine as the backbone treatment for EGFR-mutated lung cancer.

“These results emphasise the importance of diagnosing patients with lung cancer early, testing for EGFR mutations and treating all those with an EGFR mutation with Tagrisso.”

Roy Herbst, a principal investigator in the trial, concluded: “These highly anticipated OS results, with 88% of patients alive at five years, are a momentous achievement in the treatment of early-stage EGFR-mutated lung cancer. This data underscores that adjuvant treatment with osimertinib provides patients with the best chance of long-term survival.”