Lilly receives positive CHMP verdict on Alimta

Lilly has been granted a recommendation by Europe's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) for its lung cancer drug Alimta to be used in a new indication.

The European Medicines Agency committee has endorsed the injection-based treatment as a continuation maintenance therapy option in patients with advanced nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer.

It follows the publication of positive data from the phase III study Paramount that was published earlier this year, showing the drug's benefits in terms of progression-free survival.

Further subgroup analysis released this week showed that it is also effective among patients aged 70 years or older.

Continuation maintenance therapy – which sees the same drug used as a first-line treatment also utilised for maintenance purposes – represents a new concept for lung cancer treatment.

Dr Allen Melemed, senior medical director for Alimta at Lilly Oncology, said: "Lung cancer is one of the most difficult cancers to treat and new therapy options are much needed."