|
 Consensus sales forecast compiled before Friday's news of the drug's
success in stage III lung cancer had put AstraZeneca well behind
rivals in the multibillion-dollar immuno-oncology race, Thomson
Reuters data shows. (http://tmsnrt.rs/2pOcvj9)
Success in the stage III setting now adds an annual sales
opportunity that analysts estimate is worth about $2 billion - and
the British drugmaker also has an important lead of two to three
years over rivals in this particular area.
There is still plenty to fight for between AstraZeneca and its main
rivals, Merck & Co, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Roche.
Imfinzi's success in non-metastatic disease does not guarantee a
positive result for AstraZeneca's big MYSTIC trial, where Imfinzi is
being tested in combination with another drug in stage IV non-small
cell lung cancer that has already spread beyond the lungs. Those
results are due by mid-year. [nL8N1HR1AP]
Merck's Keytruda, Bristol's Opdivo and Roche's Tecentriq are all
currently approved in such metastatic disease, representing a large
market, since many lung cancer patients will already have reached
stage IV by the time they are diagnosed.
[to top of second column] |
For a graphic on cancer drug battle http://tmsnrt.rs/2pOcvj9
(Reporting by Ben Hirschler, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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