AstraZeneca, a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company, announced that the European Commission (EC) has granted full marketing authorisation for Tagrisso (osimertinib) 40mg and 80mg once-daily tablets for the treatment of adult patients with locally-advanced or metastatic epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) T790M mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
The full approval for Tagrisso is based on the results of the phase III AURA3 trial, which were presented last year. The EGFR T790M mutation can be detected with a validated test using either DNA derived from a biopsy or circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) obtained from a plasma sample.
Sean Bohen, executive vice president, global medicines development and chief medical officer at AstraZeneca, said: “The full approval of Tagrisso in the EU is further evidence of our exciting progress in transforming the science of cancer care to deliver life-changing medicines to people most in need. Having demonstrated its superiority over chemotherapy in EGFR T790M mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer, Tagrisso has the potential to become the new standard of care for patients with this difficult-to-treat form of lung cancer.”
Data from the phase III AURA3 trial showed that Tagrisso demonstrated statistically-significant improvements in progression-free survival (PFS) over standard platinum-based doublet chemotherapy in 419 patients with EGFR T790M-positive advanced NSCLC whose disease had progressed on or after EGFR TKI therapy. Among patients taking Tagrisso, the PFS was 10.1 months, compared to 4.4 months in the chemotherapy arm. The objective response rate (ORR) was 71% compared to 31% for chemotherapy. Among 144 patients with metastases to the central nervous system (CNS), PFS was 8.5 months versus 4.2 months.
The most common adverse reactions in the Tagrisso group were diarrhoea (41% overall; 1% Grade =3), rash (34% overall; 1% Grade =3), dry skin (23% overall; 0% Grade =3), paronychia (22% overall; 0% Grade =3), stomatitis (15% overall; 0% Grade =3, and pruritus (13% overall; 0% Grade =3). Warnings and precautions include interstitial lung disease (ILD), keratitis, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and QTc interval prolongation.
In March 2017, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Tagrisso a conversion from accelerated to full approval. Tagrisso was also recently approved in China through the new Priority Review Pathway, which grants an accelerated review timeline for innovative therapies.
Tagrisso (osimertinib) 40mg and 80mg once-daily oral tablet has been approved in over 45 countries, including the US, EU, Japan and China, for patients with EGFR T790M mutation-positive advanced NSCLC. Eligibility for treatment with Tagrisso is dependent on confirmation that the EGFR T790M mutation is present in the tumour.
Tagrisso is a third generation, irreversible EGFR-TKI designed to inhibit both EGFR sensitising and EGFR T790M resistance mutations and to have activity in the CNS. Tagrisso is also being investigated in the adjuvant and metastatic 1st line settings, including in patients with and without CNS metastases, in leptomeningeal metastases, and in combination with other treatments.
AstraZeneca uses ground-breaking science to develop a wide range of therapies for patients with lung cancer. We are pioneering biomarker-guided therapies that aim to eliminate lung cancer by targeting molecular mutations in tumour cells and by boosting the power of the immune response against cancer. We are committed to transforming outcomes for patients with lung cancer, whose treatment options are currently limited.