AstraZeneca Halts Lung Cancer Drug Trials After Failing to Outperform Available Treatments

AstraZeneca has halted clinical trials of its experimental drug Volrustomab after it became clear that the drug does not appear to be more effective than existing treatments in fighting lung cancer.

AstraZeneca stated that the experimental drug’s performance was no better than the widely used Keytruda, which is used in cases of advanced non-small cell lung cancer whose tumors show low levels of a protein called PD-L1. This prompted the independent committee overseeing the advanced trial to recommend its termination. Both drugs were administered alongside chemotherapy, according to Bloomberg News.

These developments represent a setback for the British pharmaceutical company, led by CEO Pascal Soriot, which has established itself as a leading force in cancer drugs by delivering a steady stream of blockbuster medications, including Tagrisso and Imfinzi.

Analysts surveyed by Bloomberg had expected the drug to generate revenues of $1.3 billion by 2032.