Astra gets boost from drug approval: cancer treatment Imfinzi approved in US, kidney disease drug Forxiga gets green light in China
AstraZeneca recorded further successes in its drug pipeline yesterday with two key regulatory approvals.
The FTSE-100 pharmaceutical company’s Imfinzi treatment has been approved in the US for use in patients with advanced duct cancer, a rare and aggressive form of the disease that affects connections between various organs, including the liver, stomach and pancreas.
The approval follows a phase III clinical trial that showed Imfinzi reduced the risk of death in patients given chemotherapy in combination with chemotherapy alone compared to chemotherapy alone.
Price gain: AstraZeneca’s Imfinzi treatment has been approved in the US, and its drug Forxiga has been approved by Chinese regulators
Meanwhile, the drug Forxiga has been approved by Chinese regulators to treat chronic kidney disease in adults.
Clinical trials showed that the treatment helped reduce the risk of death by 31 percent.
Chronic kidney disease is a serious progressive condition that can increase the risk of heart attacks and premature death.
Astra shares rose 0.3 percent to 10648p.
