Boehringer Ingelheim study shows benefits of lung cancer therapy

Boehringer Ingelheim has reported data from Lux-Lung 3, a new study that demonstrates the significant benefits offered by its lung cancer therapy afatinib.

The study, which was the largest registration trial to date for patients with EGFR mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), showed that afatinib was able to deliver outstanding first-line efficacy.

Unprecedented progression-free survival benefits were associated with the investigational compound, as well as better quality of life and more long-lasting control and improvement of the most common lung cancer-related symptoms.

The compound is currently under review by the European Medicines Agency for the treatment of EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC.

Dr Matthew Peters, chair of The Global Lung Cancer Coalition, said: "With around 90 percent of advanced NSCLC patients experiencing two or more disease-related symptoms and high levels of associated psychological distress, it is important that we consider these endpoints when assessing the benefits of a treatment."

Last week, the company completed enrolment for a pair of pivotal phase III trials of nintedanib, a new therapy for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.