BRIEF—Certain patients benefit from osimertinib, says IQWiG

UK pharma major AstraZeneca’s Tagrisso (osimertinib) was the first drug to be approved for adjuvant treatment after complete tumor resection in adults with stage IB to IIIA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

In an early benefit assessment, the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) investigated whether the drug, compared with the appropriate comparator therapy, offers an added benefit to patients with an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon 19 deletion or exon 21 substitution mutation.

Accordingly, an added benefit is not proven for patients without prior adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy.

However, there is a hint of considerable added benefit of osimertinib over watchful waiting as appropriate comparator therapy for patients who have already received such chemotherapy or for whom it is not suitable.