AstraZeneca ditches lung cancer treatment trial

AstraZeneca has halted a late-stage lung cancer trial, marking another setback after it stopped a heart-disease study in July. The FTSE 100 company said its Volrustomig drug, combined with chemotherapy, was unlikely to improve survival compared with existing treatments. The decision follows a planned review of trial data by the Independent Data Monitoring Committee, and the company called the move disappointing. AstraZeneca also reported that it will continue Volrustomig trials in other cancers including cervical cancer, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, and mesothelioma. On Monday, it shared positive progress: Enhertu showed statistically significant, clinically meaningful improvement in progression-free survival for non-small cell lung cancer, moving into phase three. Shares rose 2% early.