At the forefront of lung cancer treatment
Home / Our therapy areas / Oncology / Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide, accounting for about 2.4 million patients diagnosed and 1.8 million deaths each year.1 The two main types of lung cancer are non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which represents 80-85% of patients, and small cell lung cancer (SCLC), the more aggressive and fast-growing cancer type, representing about 15% of patients.2
The earlier we can detect and treat lung cancer, the closer we are to cure.3 Unfortunately, early diagnosis is not always a reality.3
lung="" (nsclc),="" (sclc),="" 1.8="" 15%="" 2.2="" 80-85%="" about="" accounting="" aggressive="" and="" are="" cancer="" cause="" cell="" death="" deaths="" diagnosed="" each="" fast-growing="" for="" h3="" is="" leading="" lung="" main="" million="" more="" non-small="" of="" patients="" patients,="" patients.2-3<="" representing="" represents="" small="" style="margin-left: -.25in;" the="" two="" type="" types="" which="" worldwide,="" year.1 the="">
In many cases, lung cancer goes undetected until it is in advanced stages, or the cancer comes back after initial treatment.4 For these patients who experience recurrence, outcomes are especially poor.5 To meaningfully improve outcomes, we are prioritising lung cancer research to increase early screening and diagnosis and address the significant unmet need for treatments at every stage of the disease continuum.
Our approach
Our portfolio of approved and potential new medicines in late-stage development spans different histologies, several stages of disease, lines of therapy and modes of action.6 Our approach is driven by precision medicine, using groundbreaking science to further our understanding of lung cancer and deliver medicines matched to the patients who can best benefit from them. This includes thinking differently about the underlying biology of lung cancer, from early stages – where we aim to help patients live longer and cancer-free – to late stages, where we look to meaningfully extend survival.
Our scientific platforms
Tumour drivers and resistance (TDR)
We are defining new biomarkers and therapeutic targets to transform the way lung cancer is diagnosed and treated. Our research has led us to address the unmet needs of patients with mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). We are also investigating resistance mechanisms and emerging biomarkers, such as alterations in the MET gene, to help answer what comes next for patients whose cancer progresses despite treatment with today’s standard-of-care therapies.
Antibody drug conjugates (ADCs)
We are investigating antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) to target actionable biomarkers such as human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2). Unlike conventional chemotherapy treatments which can damage healthy cells, ADCs can deliver a cancer drug directly into cancer cells to reduce damage caused to healthy cells. Currently, patients whose tumours express HER2 and who have progressed after treatment have limited options, as there are no available HER2 directed medicines approved in NSCLC.
Immuno-oncology (IO)
Immunotherapies are designed to target immune checkpoints that are exploited by cancer to avoid or suppress the immune system’s ability to recognise and destroy cancer cells. Across our clinical trials, we are testing IO as monotherapy (by itself) and also in combinations with chemotherapy, small molecules, antibody drug conjugates and other immunotherapies across multiple tumour types, stages of disease and lines of treatment.
Advancing treatments through innovative trial design
While many new treatments have focused on advancing care for metastatic patients with a high unmet medical need, we prioritised pushing treatment into earlier lung cancer settings. To really cure cancer, we need to treat earlier to maximise the potential for long-term disease remission and the possibility of cure.4 In pursuit of this goal, we have launched more than a dozen Phase II and III clinical trials evaluating our Immuno-Oncology and gene-targeted therapies in earlier stages of disease.6 In the Immuno-Oncology space alone, we now lead with the largest proportion of Phase III trials in early disease across the industry, with many ongoing across the NSCLC and SCLC settings.6
Downloadable infographics
Changing the pace of progress in lung cancer survival
As a founding member of the Lung Ambition Alliance, a partnership of organisations driving forward meaningful improvements for people with lung cancer, we have the ambitious goal to eliminate lung cancer as a cause of death. To meet this goal, the Alliance advocates for improved approaches in three key areas –
- Increasing screening rates and diagnostic testing.
- Accelerating the delivery of innovative medicine.
- Improving quality of care.
Recent and ongoing initiatives include policy reports, like Lung Cancer Screening: The Cost of Inaction which outlines the opportunity presented by lung cancer screening to reduce costs while saving lives; strategic global, regional and local collaborations, like one with Aidence using artificial intelligence to improve early lung cancer diagnoses; the ILC2 grant program which funds non-profit initiatives with transformative potential for patient care; and efforts to study oncology endpoints to accelerate drug approvals in earlier settings of lung cancer.7
Join Us
We are driven by our passion, our people and a culture of innovation. We value courage, curiosity, collaboration and passion for learning, and we encourage disruptive thinking where failure is an opportunity to learn – the freedom to take risks without fear of failure.
Our people
“I am passionate about developing medicines to improve the outcomes for patients with cancer and developing the skills and experience of the people within my team" Susan Galbraith, Executive Vice-President, Oncology R&D
References:
1. World Health Organisation. International Agency for Research on Cancer. Lung Fact Sheet. Available at: http://gco.iarc.who.int/media/globocan/factsheets/cancers/15-trachea-bronchus-and-lung-fact-sheet.pdf. Accessed August 2024.
2. American Cancer Society. What is Lung Cancer? Available at: http://www.cancer.org/cancer/lung-cancer/about/what-is.html. Accessed August 2024.
3. American Cancer Society. Can Lung Cancer Be Found Early? Available at: http://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/lung-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/detection.html. Accessed August 2024.
4. LUNGevity Foundation. Screening & Early Detection. Available at: http://lungevity.org/for-patients-caregivers/lung-cancer-101/screening-early-detection. Accessed August 2024.
5. ASCO. Treatment Choices for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, by Stage. Available at: http://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/lung-cancer/treating-non-small-cell/by-stage.html. Accessed August 2024.
6. AstraZeneca PLC. Clinical Trials Appendix. H1 2024 Results update. Available at: http://78c.zb-fc.com/content/dam/az/PDF/2024/h1/H1-and-Q2-2024-results-clinical-trials-appendix.pdf. Accessed August 2024.
7. Lung Ambition Alliance. Our Ambition. Available at: http://www.lungambitionalliance.com. Accessed August 2024.