NSCLC data could signal comeback for AZ's Iressa

AstraZeneca's Iressa (gefitinib) has proven as effective as chemotherapy in second-line treatment of non-small cell lung cancer but with far fewer side effects, according to a late-stage US trial.

Led by researchers at the USA's MD Anderson Cancer Center, the study showed that there was no additional survival benefit for patients who expressed an elevated level of the epidermal growth factor receptor mutation, which could explain why previous trials had failed to show efficacy.

Data from the INTEREST study, published in the November 20 issue of The Lancet, represent a paradigm shift for the treatment of the disease, according to lead author Edward Kim. "This is the largest study in lung cancer comparing an oral biologic therapy to chemotherapy and shows, for the first time, that an oral biologic therapy is just as effective as chemotherapy," said Dr Kim.