(Reuters) – AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) said on Monday that two of its existing therapies were recommended for treating patients with some types of high-risk breast cancer in the European Union. This is good news for the company’s oncology portfolio.
Lynparza is a drug for cancer that was made in collaboration with the U.S. company Merck. It was approved for use alone or in combination with endocrine therapy in adults with a type of early-stage breast cancer caused by genetic changes.
The drug, which got the same recommendation in the U.S. in March, is one of AstraZeneca’s most important assets. It was suggested for people whose levels of a protein called HER2 were low to normal. HER2 is the target of several new treatments.
The other drug that was approved by the European Medicines Agency was Enhertu, which was made in collaboration with Daiichi Sankyo of Japan. It is used to treat an aggressive form of breast cancer with a high rate of HER2.
AstraZeneca’s growth is seen as a big reason for Enhertu’s growth, and some analysts think it could bring in as much as $10 billion in sales at its peak. After the recent success of a trial, the drug is also likely to be approved for people with low levels of HER2. This should happen this month.
