Astra’s blockbuster drug scores major win in combatting bladder cancer

People walk past the AstraZeneca booth during the first China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) in Beijing on Nov. 28, 2023. | REUTERS

by ASHLEIGH FURLONG
September 16, 2024

AstraZeneca PLC’s Imfinzi extended the lives of patients with bladder cancer, potentially opening up a new market for the blockbuster medicine.

In patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer, Imfinzi reduced the risk of disease recurring by 32% when given alongside the current standard of care, interim analysis of a late-stage trial found.

The medicine also reduced the risk of death by a quarter when added to current treatments such as chemotherapy and surgery, according to the study involving 1,063 patients.