AstraZeneca celebrates EU approval of Lynparza plus Imfinzi

(Alliance News) - AstraZeneca PLC on Wednesday said that the EU approved Imfinzi in combination with Lynparza for a form of cancer.

The Cambridge-based pharmaceutical company said the European Commission approved the combination of the cancer treatments for some patients with primary advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer.

Imfinzi plus chemotherapy as a first-line treatment, followed by Lynparza and Imfinzi, has been approved for patients with mismatch repair proficient disease, while Imfinzi plus chemotherapy followed by Imfinzi alone has been approved for patients with mismatch repair deficient disease.

Dave Fredrickson, executive vice president at AstraZeneca's Oncology Business unit said: "This approval of Imfinzi and Lynparza regimens marks the first-ever approval for a combination of an immunotherapy and PARP inhibitor in endometrial cancer and a major step forward for patients. In Europe, endometrial cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women, and until now, the 70 to 80 per cent of patients who have mismatch repair proficient disease have had few available treatment options."

PARP inhibitors are a type of targeted cancer drug. Some forms of cancer are more dependent on PARP than regular cells. PARP is an enzyme named poly ADP ribose polymerase which is involved in cellular processes such as DNA repair and programmed cell death.

AstraZeneca shares were 0.2% higher at 12,941.65 pence each on Wednesday morning in London. The stock is up 20% so far in 2024, boosting its market capitalisation above GBP200 billion. Astra is now the largest stock on the London Stock Exchange, exceeding oil major Shell PLC, whose market cap is GBP176.28 billion.

By Tom Budszus, Alliance News slot editor

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