Lilly receives EU approval for stomach cancer drug Cyramza

Lilly has announced that it has received European regulatory approval for a new treatment for a difficult-to-treat form of stomach cancer.

The European Commission has granted marketing authorisation for the ramucirumab-based therapy Cyramza, making it the first licensed therapy specifically indicated for adult patients with advanced gastric or gastro-oesophageal junction adenocarcinoma following prior chemotherapy.

Intended for use in combination with paclitaxel chemotherapy and as a single agent in patients for whom treatment with paclitaxel is not appropriate, the drug has demonstrated in phase III trials that it can extend overall survival rates, while delaying disease progression.

Currently, gastric cancer patients face a poor prognosis, with around 80 percent of cases only diagnosed once the disease has spread and become difficult to treat.

Professor David Ferry, global senior medical director for Lilly Oncology, said: "Despite research efforts, there have been few advances in the last 30 years and inoperable gastric cancer remains a devastating disease. Ramucirumab provides a welcome new treatment option for these patients."

The new drug was also approved for the treatment of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer in the US earlier this month, its third approved indication in the territory.