AstraZeneca gets CDSCO nod for lung cancer drug   

AstraZeneca India Pharma on Thursday said it has received approval from the government authority for the import, sale, and distribution of a medication used in treating non-small cell lung cancer.

The company has received approval from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), for Osimertinib tablets in strength of 40mg and 80mg,  AstraZeneca India said in a statement.

The approval marks a critical step forward with Osimertinib as monotherapy in the treatment of patients with locally advanced, unresectable (Stage III) non-small cell lung cancer, it added.

This new indication represents a first-in-class treatment option in a setting for EGFR-mutated NSCLC post-chemoradiation, the drug firm stated.

"With Osimertinib's approval for this additional indication, we are reaching a significant milestone in redefining lung cancer treatment in India," AstraZeneca Pharma India Country President & MD Sanjeev Panchal said.

Lung cancer continues to pose a major public health challenge in India, ranking as the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths.