Ceralasertib is part of AstraZeneca’s ambitious plan to hit $80 billion in revenue by 2030.
AstraZeneca’s investigational ATR kinase inhibitor did not improve overall survival when combined with Imfinzi in patients with non-small cell lung cancer during a Phase III clinical trial, the company announced Monday.
Ceralasertib is part of AstraZeneca’s plan to hit $80 billion in revenue by 2030.
In the late-stage LATIFY trial, ceralasertib was combined with AztraZeneca’s blockbuster Imfinzi and compared with standard-of-care chemotherapy in patients with advanced or metastatic disease. Included patients did not have actionable gene alterations and had progressed on or after immunotherapy and chemotherapy.
AstraZeneca was hoping to “reinvigorate the immune response” in these patients, Susan Galbraith, executive vice president of Oncology Hematology R&D at the company, said in its announcement.
AstraZeneca did not provide full results but stated that the combo was generally well tolerated, with a safety profile consistent with previous studies. The company promised to release more data at future medical meetings.
A previous Phase II trial called HUDSON of the Imfinzi and ceralasertib combo in this population “demonstrated promising efficacy,” AstraZeneca said in a 2023 release.
Ceralasertib inhibits the ATR kinase, which helps with DNA damage response and cell survival. The therapy aims to switch the immune system into an activated state when combined with immunotherapy.
Previous Phase I data for ceralasertib in combination with AstraZeneca’s Enhertu showed a 36.4% overall response rate in patients with HER2-expressing tumors. AstraZeneca is also testing ceralasertib in a Phase II trial against solid tumors.
On Sunday, AstraZeneca announced a $2 billion deal with China’s Jacobio Pharma for a pan-KRAS inhibitor.
