Latest news with #Truqap
Mint
29-04-2025
- Business
- Mint
AstraZeneca's Soriot Warns US Against Trade Tariffs on Medicines
AstraZeneca Plc's Chief Executive Officer Pascal Soriot warned that trade tariffs are not the best way to manage pharmaceuticals and that drugmakers are calling for no additional US levies on medicines. 'We actually believe that a better incentive to attract investment in manufacturing and in R&D is to have a great tax policy that incentivizes companies to invest in the country,' Soriot said on Bloomberg TV on Tuesday. AstraZeneca believes any impact of levies on the company would be short-lived given its manufacturing presence in the US. Still, Soriot said the industry is calling on the Trump administration not to put levies on imported medicines, after they were excluded from recent announcements. The drugmaker posted higher profit in the first quarter that still disappointed investors due to weaker than expected sales of key cancer medicines. The company's shares fell as much as 4.7% in early trading in London, and are down about 16% over the past year. Astra said it is discontinuing a late-stage trial of its Truqap prostate cancer treatment, based on a recommendation from an independent data monitoring committee. Truqap is already approved for treating breast cancer. Earnings per share, excluding some items, were $2.49, the company said Tuesday, above the $2.26 estimated by analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. Sales of major cancer medicines were lower than anticipated, with Bloomberg Intelligence analyst John Murphy saying in a note that weakness in cancer and rare disease drugs were a potential source of concern. Still, sales of its diabetes and heart disease drug Farxiga were nearly 6% higher than expected, while revenue from its newer cancer medicine Enhertu was also ahead. The British drugmaker confirmed its guidance for the year and also said it was committed to investing and growing in the US. Astra has already announced a $3.5 billion investment in its US business by the end of 2026. The cash will go toward research and development as well as manufacturing. Astra is also trying to move on from a damaging probe into current and former employees in China that ensnared the drugmaker's president in the country. The company said it received an appraisal opinion in April from Shenzhen City Customs Office regarding suspected unpaid importation taxes amounting to $1.6 million, which Astra said likely relates to Enhertu. 'A fine of between one and five times the amount of unpaid importation taxes may also be levied if AstraZeneca is found liable,' the company said. Analysts had previously been reassured by Astra's earlier estimate that it could be fined just $4.5 million for suspected unpaid import taxes for two other cancer medicines Imfinzi and Imjudo. The latest update on China would likely be welcomed by investors, Jefferies' analyst Benjamin Jackson said in a note. This year Astra announced a $2.5 billion research hub in Beijing as it seeks to capitalize on booming interest in the scientific prowess emerging in China. The project indicated a strong partnership with the government despite the probe. The drugmaker has had several positive readouts this year from potential blockbuster medicines, including data from its experimental cholesterol drug that significantly reduced 'bad' cholesterol in a mid-stage trial. That could be part of a powerful combination drug targeting weight loss and related ailments. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. First Published: 29 Apr 2025, 01:36 PM IST
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
AstraZeneca's oral breast cancer drug Truqap greenlit for NHS use
AstraZeneca's Truqap (capivasertib) has been approved for use by the National Health Service (NHS) in England and Wales, providing a new targeted therapy option that significantly increases progression-free survival (PFS) in breast cancer patients. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the spending watchdog for the NHS, has recommended the drug to be used in combination with AstraZeneca's already-marketed breast cancer drug Faslodex (fulvestrant). Adults with hormone receptor (HR)-positive HER2-negative breast cancer that has one or more PIK3CA, AKT1 or PTEN gene alterations and is locally advanced or metastatic are eligible for the therapy. NICE estimates around 1,100 patients will be able to take the new twice-a-day tablet, with London's Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) forecasting that the combo therapy will eventually benefit around 3,000 a year. Truqap will likely become a key revenue driver for AstraZeneca. The drug is forecast to reach blockbuster status by 2027, whilst 2031 global sales are expected to hit nearly $2bn, as per GlobalData's Pharma Intelligence Centre. As well as the UK, Truqap is also approved in the US, the European Union (EU), and Japan, amongst others. GlobalData is the parent company of Pharmaceutical Technology. The HR-positive HER2-negative breast cancer drug market also includes Pfizer's Ibrance (palbociclib), Eli Lilly's Verzenio (abemaciclib), and Novartis' Kisqali (ribociclib). Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, affecting one in seven women. Treatments have progressed over the past few decades, meaning 75% of patients survive for 10 years or more after diagnosis. HR-positive HER2-negative breast cancer is the most common type of breast cancer. Results from the Phase III CAPItello-291 trial (NCT04305496) showed that Truqap doubled the time it took for cancer to progress in 708 women with HR-positive HER2-negative breast cancer patients. The median PFS was 7.3 months in those who received Truqap and Faslodex, compared to 3.1 months in patients who received hormone therapy alone. The NHS availability of Truqap is a 'triumph' according to Professor Kristian Helin, chief executive of ICR. "This announcement is a triumph that will improve treatment for these patients with the most common type of advanced breast cancer. Around half of patients with this kind of breast cancer have mutations in one or more of the genes and for these patients, Truqap can halt disease progression. I'm delighted that access to the drug is being expanded to NHS patients in England and Wales who are in desperate need of better options,' Professor Helin commented. Patients with advanced HR-positive HER-2 negative breast cancer in the UK are currently offered the option to continue Faslodex or chemotherapy. Faslodex on its own is often ineffective and chemotherapy carries side effects, the ICR stated. 'People with advanced breast cancer would value treatments like [Truqap] that can be given when limited options exist and because it may delay the need for chemotherapy and its associated side-effects,' NICE's director of medicines evaluation Helen Knight said. Truqap works by inhibiting all three isoforms of the AKT protein. AKT kinases enable cancer cell growth and multiplication. NICE said that whilst there have been no clinical trials directly comparing the new combo therapy to existing approved regimens, indirect comparisons suggest non-inferiority. The recommendation by NICE represents a U-turn after the agency initially rejected the therapy due to uncertainties over its cost-effectiveness. Breast Cancer Now's chief executive Claire Rowney said this meant 'patients faced unnecessary delays in accessing' the treatment. She added that 'NHS England must now put in place prompt genetic testing to ensure those eligible to receive [Truqap] without further delay.' "AstraZeneca's oral breast cancer drug Truqap greenlit for NHS use" was originally created and published by Pharmaceutical Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
The Independent
11-04-2025
- Health
- The Independent
‘Huge breakthrough' as breast cancer pill approved for NHS
A "huge breakthrough" in breast cancer treatment has arrived with the NHS approval of a twice-daily pill for the most common form of advanced disease. The drug, capivasertib (also known as Truqap), offers new hope for up to 3,000 women annually with hormone receptor (HR)-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer harbouring specific genetic mutations and exhibiting spread. Capivasertib, developed by AstraZeneca, targets the AKT protein, a molecule known to fuel the multiplication of cancer cells. By inhibiting AKT's action, the drug effectively slows or halts the progression of the disease. Clinical trials have demonstrated the drug's efficacy, revealing that when combined with the hormone therapy, fulvestrant, capivasertib extended the period before cancer advancement by an average of 4.2 months compared to patients receiving fulvestrant and a placebo. This translates to an improvement from 3.1 months to 7.3 months before disease progression. The Institute of Cancer Research, London (ICR), which has dedicated decades of research to this area, lauded the NHS decision as a significant step forward. The new drug is suitable for patients' tumours with mutations or alterations in the PIK3CA, AKT1 or PTEN genes, which are found in approximately half of patients with this form of breast cancer. Professor Nicholas Turner, from the ICR and the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, led a major trial into the drug. He said: 'This positive Nice (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) recommendation means that thousands of NHS patients with advanced breast cancer with these specific biomarkers can now receive this innovative targeted treatment to keep their cancer from progressing for longer. 'It's an immensely rewarding moment to see this drug provide patients with a treatment option and precious extra time with their families. 'It is now crucial that advanced breast cancer patients have their cancer tested to identify those who could benefit from this capivasertib combination.' Professor Kristian Helin, chief executive of the ICR, said: 'This announcement is a triumph that will improve treatment for these patients with the most common type of advanced breast cancer. 'Around half of patients with this kind of breast cancer have mutations in one or more of the genes, and for these patients, capivasertib can halt disease progression. 'I'm delighted that access to the drug is being expanded to NHS patients in England and Wales who are in desperate need of better options. 'The approval is also a significant achievement for the ICR, and a great success story for British science. 'Decades of discovery science work and a major drug discovery project by ICR researchers, along with a crucial partnership with Astex Pharmaceuticals, paved the way to the discovery of capivasertib by AstraZeneca.' Professor Paul Workman, former chief executive of the ICR and researcher in the AKT drug discovery project, has previously said the drug is a 'huge breakthrough'. He said of the Nice approval: 'I am delighted to celebrate this landmark moment and see capivasertib become available on the NHS. 'The drug's discovery and development, following early fundamental research, has been a long scientific journey for myself and the outstanding teams of scientists at the ICR, Astex and AstraZeneca. 'It's immensely gratifying that years of collaboration have contributed to this new cancer drug, which has the potential to improve the lives of so many NHS patients living with advanced breast cancer.' Main symptoms of breast cancer in women NHS Claire Rowney, chief executive of Breast Cancer Now, welcomed the approval but said an initial rejection by Nice over uncertainties in the evidence had led to delays. 'This happens too often and urgent action must be taken to ensure the quick approval of breast cancer drugs so they can be made available promptly to those who need them,' she said. 'NHS England must now put in place prompt genetic testing to ensure those eligible receive capivasertib without further delay. 'The Scottish Medicines Consortium must also consider this treatment at pace now, so that we see it made available to all who need it across the UK.' Professor Peter Johnson, national clinical director for Cancer at NHS England, said the treatment would not be suitable for everyone but giving patients more time 'before more intensive therapies are required is an important part of our drive to personalise cancer care and improve quality of life for patients wherever possible'. Helen Knight, director of medicines evaluation at Nice, said it had heard about the 'devastating impact that being diagnosed with advanced breast cancer has on people's lives'. She said Nice was 'pleased the company has worked with us so that we are able to recommend this promising new treatment as a good use of NHS resources and value for money for taxpayers.'
Telegraph
11-04-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Twice-a-day pill for advanced breast cancer approved
A twice-a-day pill for advanced breast cancer has been approved for use on the NHS. The life-extending drug, called capivasertib (Truqap), will benefit up to 3,000 women every year. The approval comes after a U-turn by the National Institute of Care and Health Excellence (Nice), which initially rejected the drug after assessing its cost and benefit to patients. To be eligible for the treatment, women will have to be diagnosed with a certain type of breast cancer, called hormone receptor (HR)-positive HER2-negative breast cancer. It will also need to have spread to another part of the body. It is the most common form of incurable breast cancer but treatment options have been limited. The new drug is suitable for women whose tumours have mutations in the PIK3CA, AKT1 or PTEN genes, which are found in approximately half of patients with this form of breast cancer. The drug, made by AstraZeneca, works by blocking the action of an abnormal protein that drives the cancer cells to multiply, and so slows their spread. Results from a clinical trial showed that capivasertib plus the hormone therapy fulvestrant increased the time before the cancer got worse by around 4.2 months compared with placebo plus fulvestrant – from 3.1 months to 7.3 months. Decades of research The approval follows decades of research by scientists from the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) in London. Prof Nicholas Turner, from the ICR and the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, led a major trial into the drug. 'This positive Nice recommendation means that thousands of NHS patients with advanced breast cancer with these specific biomarkers can now receive this innovative targeted treatment to keep their cancer from progressing for longer,' he said. 'It's an immensely rewarding moment to see this drug provide patients with a treatment option and precious extra time with their families.' About 56,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK every year. Tom Keith Roach, president of AstraZeneca UK, said: 'This is a fantastic story of what UK science can do. 'The partnership between AstraZeneca, the Institute of Cancer Research, and Cancer Research Technology underscores the potential of UK life sciences, which we are working with government to unlock on behalf of patients and the UK growth agenda.' 'Success story for British science' Prof Kristian Helin, chief executive of the ICR, said: 'Around half of patients with this kind of breast cancer have mutations in one or more of the genes, and for these patients capivasertib can halt disease progression.' He said it was 'a great success story for British science'. The treatment will be immediately funded through a ring-fenced pot of money to roll out cancer drugs in England. Prof Paul Workman, former chief executive of the ICR and researcher in the drug discovery project, said it was a 'landmark moment'. Claire Rowney, chief executive of Breast Cancer Now, criticised the initial rejection by Nice as causing unnecessary delays for women. 'This happens too often and urgent action must be taken to ensure the quick approval of breast cancer drugs so they can be made available promptly to those who need them,' she said. She called on NHS England to 'put in place prompt genetic testing' to identify those who would benefit.
