AstraZeneca Discontinues Phase III Lung Cancer Trial

AstraZeneca has discontinued its Phase III eVOLVELung02 clinical trial evaluating the experimental drug volrustomig combined with chemotherapy for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. The decision was announced on Monday, August 17, 2026, following a recommendation from an independent data monitoring committee.

The committee concluded that the treatment regimen was unlikely to meet its two primary objectives: improving progression-free survival and extending overall survival in patients whose tumors tested negative for the PD-L1 protein. The trial had enrolled 895 participants across 25 countries before it was halted. According to the company, no new safety concerns were identified, and the adverse event profile for the combination therapy was consistent with the known profiles of the individual drugs.

This discontinuation marks the latest in a series of clinical development setbacks for the Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical giant this year. Earlier, AstraZeneca and its partner Ionis Pharmaceuticals halted a pivotal Phase 3 study for the heart drug Wainua after it failed to outperform a placebo in reducing cardiovascular deaths. The company also faced a regulatory rejection in the...