Lilly’s Lung Cancer Drug Wins EU Approval

Eli Lilly’s lung cancer drug Portrazza has received a thumbs-up from EU health officials.

The drug was approved for use in conjunction with gemcitabine and cisplatin chemotherapy in patients with metastatic epidermal growth factor receptor expressing squamous non-small cell lung cancer who have not received prior chemotherapy.

The approval was backed by data from the Phase 3 SQUIRE trial, which revealed a median survival of 11.5 months versus 9.9 months for patients who received chemotherapy alone.

Necitumumab is the first biologic to receive marketing authorization in the EU as a first-line treatment choice for this indication, the company says.