Boehringer Ingelheim reports positive data from new Giotrif lung cancer trial

Boehringer Ingelheim has announced the publication of new clinical data showing the superior performance its new lung cancer drug Giotrif can offer compared to an established therapy.

Results seen in The Lancet Oncology from the LUX-Lung 8 trial indicated that Giotrif performed better than an approved and recommended treatment in this setting in the treatment of advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the lung progressing after treatment with first-line platinum-based chemotherapy.

Use of Boehringer Ingelheim's drug resulted in superior progression-free survival and overall survival, thus meeting its primary endpoint in the trial.

LUX-Lung 8 is the largest prospective phase III head-to-head trial directly comparing two EGFR-directed treatments in this indication.

Dr Mehdi Shahidi, medical head of solid tumour oncology at Boehringer Ingelheim, said: "We are pleased with the publication of LUX-Lung 8 data in The Lancet Oncology and based on the improvement in overall survival with the use of afatinib, we are in the process of preparing regulatory submissions."

Previous data from the broader LUX-Lung clinical trial programme has offered further evidence of the potential benefits Giotrif can offer for lung cancer patients.