AstraZeneca's Lynparza reduces risk of relapse and death in breast cancer patients

Pharmaceutical group AstraZeneca said on Friday that its drug Lynparza (olaparib) cuts the risk of relapse and death in breast cancer patients with germline BRCA-mutated high-risk human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative early breast cancer.

AstraZeneca revealed that results from its OlympiA Phase III trial on Lynparza had demonstrated a "statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement" in invasive disease-free survival in the adjuvant treatment of cancer patients with the particular mutation, reducing the combined risk of recurrence of cancer or death from any cause by 42% when compared to a placebo.

Lynparza, which the FTSE 100-listed firm developed in collaboration with Merck & Co, raked in more than $1.0bn in sales for AstraZeneca in 2020 and rapidly became one of the top growth drivers for the firm.

Dave Fredrickson, the executive vice president of Astra's oncology unit, said: "This is the first time that any medicine targeting a BRCA mutation has demonstrated the potential to change the course of early-stage breast cancer and offer hope for a cure. By providing a treatment which significantly reduces the risk of breast cancer returning in these high-risk patients, we hope Lynparza will set a new benchmark demonstrating sustained clinical benefit. We are working with regulatory authorities to bring Lynparza to these patients as quickly as possible."

As of 0850 BST, AstraZeneca shares were up 0.16% at 7,961.0p.