Trial finds AstraZeneca drug doubles gastric cancer survival

AstraZeneca said its experimental antibody-drug conjugate sonesitatug vedotin improved overall survival in a late-stage trial of patients with advanced gastric and related cancers whose disease had progressed after prior treatment. In the overall study population, median survival was 10.6 months with the drug versus 6.4 months with investigator-selected treatments, and the risk of death was reduced by 42%. The benefit was particularly notable among patients treated after multiple prior regimens, though researchers said more evidence is needed before considering use earlier in treatment. The trial did not show a statistically significant improvement in its disease-progression endpoint, and AstraZeneca noted that assessing progression in stomach cancer can be challenging. The drug targets Claudin 18.2, and the company sees potential for a broader eligible patient group and annual sales of up to $5 billion.