Acknowledging AstraZeneca's hugely successful hormonal breast cancer therapy, anastrozole (Arimidex), Frost & Sullivan presented the company with the prestigious 2005 Pharmaceutical Industry Product of the Year Award. This product is provenly better than tamoxifen - previously considered the 'gold standard' cancer therapy - at preventing the spread and recurrence of cancer.
The award recipient has expertly developed new products and technologies within its industry and has introduced a broad line of products and technologies. Anastrozole demonstrates an exceptional ability to make a significant difference to modern clinical practice and, most importantly, to patients' lives.
Since its launch in 1995, anastrozole has quickly risen to become the benchmark treatment for early breast cancer and has shown fewer life-threatening side effects than tamoxifen. It has been particularly benign on side effects such as blood clots, stroke and cancer of the womb lining.
“Anastrozole is now considered the new 'standard' for the treatment of post-menopausal women with early breast cancer,” says Mr. Dorman Followwill, Global Vice President, Frost & Sullivan. “Considering the influence of tamoxifen on breast cancer therapy over the past 30 years, this is a truly remarkable achievement.”
Results from the world's biggest and longest running early breast cancer trial, 'ATAC' (Arimidex, Tamoxifen, Alone or in Combination), confirmed that in hormone receptor positive patients, anastrozole was more effective than tamoxifen in reducing the risk of recurrence for all forms of breast cancer. Tamoxifen showed an impressive 47 per cent reduction in the risk of recurring breast cancer compared with placebo. The ATAC trial proved that anastrozole was more effective by another 26 per cent.
In addition to risk reduction, anastrozole increases prevention rates by 13 per cent, and increases the time taken for recurrence by 20 per cent. The possibility of cancer spreading was reduced by 14 per cent and its occurrence in the other breast was lowered by over 40 per cent.