Drugmaker Astrazeneca delivered a pair of lung\u2011cancer updates on Tuesday, with the group completing a global licensing deal for Zegfrovy (sunvozertinib) while also reporting positive Phase III data for a Tagrisso\u2013Orpathys combination in first\u2011line MET\u2011overexpressing EGFR\u2011mutated disease.<\/p>\n
Astrazeneca said it has now finalised its exclusive agreement with Dizal Pharmaceutical for worldwide rights to develop and commercialise Zegfrovy, an oral EGFR inhibitor already approved in the US and China for second\u2011line NSCLC with EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations.<\/p>\n
The FTSE 100-listed group will launch the drug in the US in the fourth quarter and noted that a supplemental NDA for first\u2011line use has been accepted by the FDA, backed by strong Phase III results published in The New England Journal of Medicine. The FDA and China’s CDE have granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation for the first\u2011line indication.<\/p>\n
Astrazeneca will pay Dizal $600m upfront and up to $900m in milestones, with tiered royalties on global sales. The transaction was not expected to affect 2026 guidance.<\/p>\n
Separately, Astrazeneca reported high\u2011level results from the SANOVO Phase III trial, showing that Tagrisso plus Orpathys delivered a statistically significant and “highly clinically meaningful” improvement in progression\u2011free survival versus Tagrisso alone in treatment\u2011na\u00efve EGFR\u2011mutated NSCLC with MET overexpression.<\/p>\n
Astrazeneca stated the benefit was seen across both high\u2011MET and intention\u2011to\u2011treat populations, with encouraging early signals in overall survival, and added that the findings reinforced the drug’s role as the backbone therapy across EGFR\u2011mutated lung cancer, with follow\u2011up ongoing.<\/p>\n
As of 0830 BST, Astrazeneca shares were down 1.45% at 11,796p.<\/p>\n
Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com<\/p>\n