AstraZeneca Highlights Survival Benefit for Tagrisso Combo Amid Competition in Lung Cancer

AstraZeneca is facing increased competition from Johnson & Johnson in the market for EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), particularly after J&J’s recent advances in this space2.

AstraZeneca announced that its Tagrisso (osimertinib) combined with chemotherapy significantly extended overall survival for patients with first-line advanced EGFR-mutated NSCLC, compared to Tagrisso alone24.

This update comes from the final analysis of the phase 3 FLAURA2 trial, which previously showed that the combination reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 38% versus monotherapy2.

At an interim analysis (41% data maturity), the combo reduced the risk of death by 25%, though this was not initially statistically significant2. The latest update indicates the survival benefit has now reached statistical significance24.

AstraZeneca’s oncology R&D chief noted the combination delivers strong survival benefit while maintaining patients' quality of life and is considered the backbone therapy for EGFR-mutated lung cancer2.

AstraZeneca is concurrently advancing additional lung cancer treatments and continues to invest in innovative combinations for various cancer stages and mechanisms13.

Sources:

1. https://www.astrazeneca.com/media-centre/press-releases/2025/new-study-results-reinforce-tagrisso-as-the-backbone-therapy-for-egfr-mutated-lung-cancer-across-stages-and-settings.html

2. https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/astrazeneca-facing-lung-cancer-challenge-jj-touts-life-extension-benefit-tagrisso-combo

3. https://www.astrazeneca.com/media-centre/press-releases/2025/datopotamab-deruxtecan-granted-priority-review-in-the-us-for-patients-with-previously-treated-advanced-egfr-mutated-non-small-cell-lung-cancer.html

4. https://pmlive.com/pharma_news/astrazeneca-shares-late-stage-results-for-tagrisso-combination-in-lung-cancer/