Boehringer Ingelheim reports positive new lung cancer trial data

Boehringer Ingelheim has reported data from LUX-Lung 6, a phase III clinical trial that further demonstrates the benefits of afatinib in the treatment of lung cancer.

Results presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting showed that afatinib was superior to standard chemotherapy in the treatment of patients with EGFR mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer.

Those receiving Boehringer Ingelheim's drug lived for almost one year before their tumour started to grow again, compared to less than half a year for those receiving gemcitabine/cisplatin-based chemotherapy.

LUX-Lung 6 is the second phase III trial to demonstrate afatinib's benefits over chemotherapy, following a similar outcome to the earlier LUX-Lung 3 trial.

Professor Klaus Dugi, corporate senior vice-president for medicine at Boehringer Ingelheim, said: "The LUX-Lung clinical trials form part of our extensive oncology development programme aimed at improving the lives of people affected by cancer, through the advance of innovative treatments such as afatinib."

Last month, the firm reported positive phase III data from a study of tiotropium in the treatment of symptomatic asthma.