|
 Prostate cancer is the second-most common type of cancer in men
worldwide, while ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cause of
cancer death in Europe.
The EMA recommendation follows positive regulatory updates for
Lynparza, which AstraZeneca <AZN.L> has developed with Merck & Co
Inc <MRK.N> as it faces competition from British rival
GlaxoSmithKline <GSK.L> on cancer drugs.
Lynparza became the first marketed PARP drug with a U.S. approval
for ovarian cancer in 2014. PARP inhibitors are a growing focus for
drug research, with potential for use in breast, lung and prostate
cancers.
Last week, GSK's cancer treatment Zejula, which is also a PARP
inhibitor, won positive recommendation from the EU watchdog as a
first option to keep advanced ovarian cancer at bay in women who
have responded to chemotherapy.
Zejula competes with rival PARP inhibitors, a class of treatments
that work by blocking enzymes involved in repairing damaged DNA,
thereby helping kill cancer cells, from AstraZeneca and Clovis
Oncology <CLVS.O>.
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Monday's recommendation for approval from the EMA's Committee for Medicinal
Products for Human Use (CMPH) comes after Lynparza won EU approval in July for
treating a form of pancreatic cancer.
While final approvals are up to the European Commission, it generally follows
the CHMP's recommendation and endorses them within a couple of months.
AstraZeneca also said it is exploring additional trials in metastatic prostate
cancer for Lynparza, and expects to publish data on a separate late-stage trial
in the second half of 2021.
(Reporting by Aakash Jagadeesh Babu and Pushkala Aripaka in Bengaluru; Editing
by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty and Alexander Smith)
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