USFDA approves AstraZeneca's combo treatment for lung cancer patients

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved AstraZeneca Plc's combo treatment for a form of lung cancer in previously untreated patients, the drugmaker said on Monday.

The combo treatment has been approved in the United States for adult patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer, the company said.

The approval was based on results from a late-stage study in which the treatment showed a statistically significant improvement in overall survival in lung cancer patients when compared to standard of care, the company said.

Small cell lung cancer is a highly aggressive, fast-growing form of cancer that typically recurs and progresses rapidly despite initial response to chemotherapy.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among both men and women and accounts for about one fifth of all cancer deaths.