Chinese regulators have approved AstraZeneca's lung cancer drug, targeting a highly aggressive form of the disease.
China's National Medical Products Administration approved Imfinzi to treat small cell lung cancer (SCLC) — a fast-growing form of lung cancer that typically recurs and progresses rapidly despite initial response to chemotherapy. Imfinzi, which is used in conjunction with chemotherapy, was approved for extensive-stage SCLC in the U.S. and the EU last year.
The Chinese agency previously approved Imfinzi in 2019 to treat a certain type of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
The new approval, which was based on positive results from the CASPIAN phase 3 trial, means AstraZeneca will now square off against Swiss rival Roche, whose Tecentriq is approved in China and other countries for extensive-stage SCLC.
Read the press release
