AstraZeneca PLC (LSE:AZN), the Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical giant, has announced encouraging results from a planned interim analysis of its DUO-O phase III trial.
The study assessed the combination of its drugs Lynparza and Imfinzi, along with chemotherapy, and a treatment called bevacizumab.
The results revealed a significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) for newly diagnosed patients with advanced ovarian cancer without tumour BRCA mutations, compared to chemotherapy plus bevacizumab (the control arm).
Ovarian cancer is one of the most common gynecologic cancers, and over two-thirds of patients are diagnosed with advanced disease. Unfortunately, 50-70% of patients with the advanced disease die within five years. The DUO-O trial aimed to find new options for these patients.
This involved treating patients with Imfinzi in combination with chemotherapy and bevacizumab, followed by Imfinzi, Lynparza, and bevacizumab as maintenance therapy.
In an additional arm, Imfinzi, chemotherapy, and bevacizumab showed numerical improvement in PFS versus the control arm but did not reach statistical significance in this interim analysis.
Overall survival (OS) and other secondary endpoints will be assessed in a subsequent analysis.
Philipp Harter, the principal investigator for the trial, praised the collaboration between academia and industry in advancing new treatment options for ovarian cancer patients.
Susan Galbraith, vice president of Oncology R&D at AstraZeneca, highlighted the importance of understanding key secondary endpoints and data for relevant subgroups as the trial continues.
The safety and tolerability of the tested combinations were in line with previous clinical trials and the known profiles of the individual medicines. AstraZeneca will present the data at upcoming medical meetings and share it with health authorities.
Ovarian cancer affects more than 314,000 women worldwide, with over 207,000 deaths in 2020. By 2040, the number of newly diagnosed patients is expected to rise by 42%, reaching over 445,000, and resulting in 314,000 deaths.