New subgroup analysis of the LUX-Lung 1 trial suggests benefit from afatinib* in lung cancer patients likely to have EGFR mutations

Chicago, USA, Ingelheim, Germany – 9 December 2010 – New data to be presented show that afatinib (BIBW 2992) leads to a significant four-fold extension (4.4 months vs. 1 month for placebo) in progression-free survival, - the time before a tumour starts to grow again- , for lung cancer patients most likely to have an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation. In addition, this sub-group of patients showed a trend towards prolonged overall survival. In previously presented results, the lack of overall survival seen in the overall trial population may have been due to confounding effects by the use of extensive subsequent therapies. The new updated post-hoc analysis for Boehringer Ingelheim’s investigational cancer compound afatinib comes from the phase IIb/III LUX-Lung 1 clinical trial, and is to be presented at the Chicago Multidisciplinary Symposium in Thoracic Oncology, USA ¹.