MEDI 4736 enters Phase III for unresectable NSCLC- AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca has announced the start of the Phase III programme for MEDI 4736, an immunotherapy in development for the treatment of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) and other cancers. The goal of the PACIFIC trial, the first study in the Phase III NSCLC programme is to evaluate progression free survival and overall survival of MEDI 4736 compared to placebo in patients with locally advanced, unresectable NSCLC (Stage III) following completion of treatment with chemoradiotherapy and no evidence of tumour progression. The PACIFIC trial is the first pivotal study of an immunotherapy in this patient population.

A total of 702 patients are anticipated to be randomised into the PACIFIC Phase III study across more than 100 sites globally. The Phase III programme follows the evaluation of clinical activity and the safety profile of MEDI 4736 in a Phase I programme. Updated information from early stage studies (monotherapy and early combination data) will be presented at this year�s American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting.

MEDI 4736 is a human monoclonal antibody directed against programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1). Signals from PD-L1 help tumours avoid detection by the immune system..