AstraZeneca said Monday that a clinical trial of its tremelimumab drug used to treat mesothelioma failed to meet its primary endpoint of overall survival.
The company said the Phase 2b trial of 10 milligram tremelimumab monotherapy in second, or third-line, treatment of unresectable malignant mesothelioma, did not extend patients’ lives. But the company said it believes the drug will still work in combination therapy.
Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that affects the membrane lining of the lungs and abdomen. Patients usually live only nine to 12 months after initial diagnosis.
“We are disappointed that tremelimumab monotherapy did not demonstrate a survival benefit in this patient population with no approved medicines beyond first-line treatment,” said Robert Iannone, the company’s head of immuno-oncology.
“However, we remain confident in tremelimumab’s clinical activity in combination.”
Tremelimumab is being tested in combination with another of AstraZeneca’s immunotherapy drugs, durvalumab, in multiple tumor types, including non-small cell lung cancer.
Read more: FDA Grants Breakthrough Therapy Designation for AstraZeneca’s Durvalumab
Shares of AstraZeneca fell 2.2 percent following the failed trial news.
Filed Under: Drug Discovery
