AstraZeneca lung cancer drug combination extends survival in trial

Health Pharma & Biotech Written by: Ian Lyall 07:41 Mon 17 Aug 2026 --> Disclaimer No investment advice About this content Editorial Standards & Policies Share article About this content × About Ian Lyall Ian Lyall, a seasoned journalist and editor, brings over three decades of experience to his role as Managing Editor at Proactive. Overseeing Proactive's editorial and broadcast operations across six offices on three continents, Ian is responsible for quality control, editorial policy, and content production. He directs the creation of 50,000 pieces of real-time news, feature articles, and filmed interviews annually. Prior to Proactive, Ian helped lead the business output at the Daily... Read more About the publisher Proactive financial news and online broadcast teams provide fast, accessible, informative and actionable business and finance news content to a global investment audience. All our content is produced independently by our experienced and qualified teams of news journalists. Proactive news team spans the world’s key finance and investing hubs with bureaus and studios in London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Sydney and Perth. We are experts in medium and small-cap markets, we also keep our community up to date with blue-chip companies, commodities and broader investment stories. This is content that excites and engages motivated private investors. The team delivers news and unique insights across the market including but not confined to: biotech and pharma, mining and natural resources, battery metals, oil and gas, crypto and emerging digital and EV technologies. Use of technology Proactive has always been a forward looking and enthusiastic technology adopter. Our human content creators are equipped with many decades of valuable expertise and experience. The team also has access to and use technologies to assist and enhance workflows. Proactive will on occasion use automation and software tools, including generative AI. Nevertheless, all content published by Proactive is edited and authored by humans, in line with best practice in regard to content production and search engine optimisation. AstraZeneca PLC ( LSE:AZN NASDAQ:AZN ) View Price & Profile AstraZeneca lung cancer drug combination extends survival in trial Published: 07:41 17 Aug 2026 BST AstraZeneca PLC (LSE:AZN, NASDAQ:AZN) has reported positive results from a late-stage trial of a two-drug combination for a hard-to-treat form of lung cancer, potentially opening the way to approval around the world. The study tested the company's established lung cancer pill Tagrisso alongside a newer drug called Orpathys, developed with the Hong Kong-based biotech HUTCHMED. Patients who took both drugs lived longer and went longer before their disease worsened than those given standard chemotherapy. The trial focused on people whose cancer had stopped responding to Tagrisso on its own, a common problem in this type of disease. Around one in three patients treated with drugs like Tagrisso eventually develop resistance driven by a protein called MET, which fuels tumour growth and is linked to poorer outcomes. Until now, there has been no well-tolerated tablet that specifically targets these patients once their cancer returns. Orpathys is designed to block MET, while Tagrisso continues to suppress the original mutation, meaning the combination tackles two problems at once. Both drugs are taken as pills rather than given by infusion, an advantage for patients who would otherwise face chemotherapy. The trial, called SAFFRON, enrolled 338 patients across 230 centres in 29 countries, spanning North America, Europe, South America and Asia. AstraZeneca said the safety results were in line with what was already known about each drug, with no new concerns emerging. Susan Galbraith, the company's head of oncology research and development, said the combination aimed to become the first biomarker-directed, all-oral option of its kind for patients globally. The combination is already approved in China on the basis of an earlier trial, and AstraZeneca said the new global data would now be shared with regulators to support wider registrations. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide, accounting for almost a quarter of all such deaths. Full results will be presented at a future medical meeting. Continue reading