Susan Galbraith, MD, PhD, head, Oncology Innovative Medicine, AstraZeneca, discusses updated data from the ongoing phase I/II AURA study. This study aims to evaluate AZD9291 for patients previously treated with an EGFR TKI with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with the T790M mutation.

The confirmed overall response rate was 70% in patients treated with 80 mg of AZD9291. Since the 2014 ASCO Annual Meeting, results have been updated to show that responses are durable — median PFS is 9.6 months. Currently, Galbraith says, the only option for this group of patients is chemotherapy, which elicits PFS of 3-4 months.

Galbraith also notes that AZD9291 is associated with reduced rates of rash and diarrhea compared with chemotherapy.

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Susan Galbraith, MD, PhD, head, Oncology Innovative Medicine, AstraZeneca, discusses updated data from the ongoing phase I/II AURA study looking at AZD9291 for NSCLC.

Dr. Galbraith Discusses Phase I/II Results for AZD9291 in Advanced NSCLC

Susan Galbraith, MD, PhD, head, Oncology Innovative Medicine, AstraZeneca, discusses the development of AZD9291 for lung cancer.

AZD9291 is a selective, irreversible inhibitor targeting EGFR activating and resistance mutations in lung cancer. A significant proportion of patients with lung cancer have an EGFR mutation: about 15% in the West and 30-40% in Asia. Though most can be treated with erlotinib or gefitinib, 60% of patients develop resistance. AZD9291 hits both the activating and resistance (T790M) mutations, Galbraith says.

In this analysis of over 200 patients with the T790M mutation who have been previously treated with an EGFR inhibitor, the response rate to AZD9291 was about 64% and the progression-free survival curves were encouraging. This drug was also designed to overcome the side effects of early EGFR inhibitors, Galbraith says, and was generally well tolerated.

Susan Galbraith, MD, PhD

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Dr. Galbraith Discusses Phase I/II Results for AZD9291 in Advanced NSCLC

Dr. Galbraith Discusses the Development of AZD9291