(Alliance News) - AstraZeneca PLC said that, following further positive findings in clinical trial, Tagrisso has been recommended for use in the European Union.

AstraZeneca shares were down 0.4% to 12,138.00 each in London on Monday morning.

The Cambridge, England-based pharmaceutical company said positive results from phase three trials of its Tagrisso treatment demonstrated "statistically significant" and "clinically meaningful" improvement in progression free survival among epidermal growth factor receptor-mutated lung cancer patients.

AstraZeneca's cancer fighting treatment reduced instances of disease progression or death by 84% in the double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 216 patients across 15 countries.

It is the first and only existing epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor and targeted treatment to show benefits in a stage three trial setting.

The benefits of Tagrisso were apparent regardless of which pre-specified subgroup patients belonged to including sex, race, age, smoking history, mutation type, as well as a prior chemoradiotherapy.

Susan Galbraith executive vice president, oncology research & development said: "Tagrisso extended progression-free survival by more than three years in this potentially curative setting, reinforcing the need to test and diagnose patients early."

Tagrisso, which is approved in many countries already, has been recommended for use in the EU in combination with chemotherapy by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use.

By Elijah Dale, Alliance News reporter

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