Astra drug keeps lung cancer from worsening-study

* Progression-free survival 17.3 wks vs 14 wks

* FDA filing expected by June 30

* No progress with biomarkers

By Deena Beasley

ORLANDO, Fla., May 30 (Reuters) - AstraZeneca PLC's (AZN.L: Quote, Profile, Research)
Zactima, which failed two earlier trials, was shown in a pivotal
study to extend the amount of time patients survived without
their lung cancer worsening, researchers said on Saturday.

The trial, called Zodiac, involved 1,391 patients with
advanced non-small cell lung cancer. It also found that almost
twice as many patients treated with a combination of Zactima and
chemotherapy drug docetaxel had shrinkage of their tumors,
compared with those given just chemotherapy.

Median "progression-free" survival for the group on the
combination therapy was 17.3 weeks, compared with 14 weeks for
the chemotherapy-alone patients, according to the study, which
was presented here at the annual meeting of the American Society
of Clinical Oncology.

The results also showed "a trend toward advantage in overall
survival," in patients who were "quite sick, quite symptomatic,"
said Peter Langmuir, medical science director at AstraZeneca.

He said the company plans to file for U.S. regulatory
approval of the oral drug, also known as vandetanib, by the end
of June.

Like Roche Holding AG's (ROG.VX: Quote, Profile, Research) Avastin, Zactima is
designed to block the vascular endothelial growth factor, which
tumors need to develop a blood supply. The Astra drug also
targets the vascular epidermal growth factor receptor, the same
protein blocked by drugs like Tarceva, a product of Roche and
OSI Pharmaceuticals Inc (OSIP.O: Quote, Profile, Research).

AstraZeneca said efforts to determine which patient groups
were most likely to respond to its drug have so far had little
success.

Langmuir said Zactima adds rash and diarrhea to the list of
side effects seen from chemotherapy, but patients have less
nausea, vomiting and anemia.

"The fact that more patients had an improvement in the
symptoms from their lung cancer suggests that the drug could be
important for the future management of this disease," Dr. Roy
Herbst, chief of thoracic medical oncology at the University of
Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and the study's lead author,
said in a statement.

Results from a fourth trial, studying Zactima as a
stand-alone treatment after the use of Tarceva and other drugs,
are expected later this year.

Lung cancer kills 1.2 million people a year and is the top
cause of cancer death globally. Many drugs are used to treat it
but they almost always stop working eventually.

Langmuir said Astra is currently exploring a number of
development options for Zactima as a first-line lung cancer
therapy and in maintenance settings.
(Reporting by Deena Beasley, editing by Matthew Lewis)