US FDA approves AstraZeneca's non-small cell lung cancer treatment

[August 16, 2024]  (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved AstraZeneca's blockbuster cancer drug, Imfinzi, for the treatment of patients with a type of non-small cell lung cancer on Thursday.

The health regulator approved Imfinzi as an additional treatment after surgery in adult patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

The drug is already approved in the U.S. for patients with a late-stage form of the disease, where the cancer cannot be removed through surgery.

Earlier today, the company received a priority review from the FDA for the use of Imfinzi in patients with limited-stage small cell lung cancer, causing shares to hit a record high of 130.48 pounds ($167.69).

Imfinzi is a human monoclonal antibody, which works by blocking a tumor's ability to evade and dampen the immune system, while also boosting the body's anti-cancer immune response, offering an alternative to chemotherapy.

AstraZeneca's cancer medicine Imfinzi is seen in this undated handout image provided to Reuters, June 30, 2022. AstraZeneca/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

($1 = 0.7781 pounds)

(Reporting by Christy Santhosh; Editing by Anil D'Silva)

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