Boehringer Ingelheim reports positive data from lung cancer drug trial

Boehringer Ingelheim's afatinib has demonstrated the advantages it provides in the treatment of advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the lung compared to a different targeted agent.

Phase III data from the company's LUX-Lung 8 trial underlined the superior progression-free survival of afatinib across several measures of efficacy following failure of first-line platinum-based chemotherapy, reducing the risk of disease progression by 18 percent.

Meanwhile, the overall rate of severe adverse events was comparable between both therapies. This study was the largest prospective trial to compare EGFR-targeting compounds in patients with this condition.

Limited treatment options currently exist for patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the lung, a disease that is associated with low rates of long-term survival.

Professor Gerd Stehle, vice-president for oncology at Boehringer Ingelheim, said: "These data add to the growing body of clinical evidence supporting the efficacy and safety of afatinib in the treatment of distinct types of lung cancer."

Afatinib also recently achieved its primary endpoint in a global phase III study assessing the drug in recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell cancer.