FORM 6-K
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
Report
of Foreign Issuer
Pursuant
to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16 of
the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For the
month of September 2026
Commission
File Number: 001-11960
AstraZeneca PLC
1
Francis Crick Avenue
Cambridge
Biomedical Campus
Cambridge
CB2 0AA
United
Kingdom
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual
reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
Form
20-F X Form 40-F __
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper
as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1):
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper
as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7): ______
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information
contained in this Form is also thereby furnishing the information
to the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934.
Yes __
No X
If
“Yes” is marked, indicate below the file number
assigned to the Registrant in connection with Rule 12g3-2(b):
82-_____________
AstraZeneca PLC
INDEX
TO EXHIBITS
1.
Enhertu recommended for approval in EU in early BC
21 September 2026
Enhertu recommended for approval in the EU by CHMP
as adjuvant treatment for patients with residual disease after
neoadjuvant treatment for HER2-positive early breast
cancer
Based on DESTINY-Breast05 Phase III trial which showed Enhertu
reduced the risk of invasive disease recurrence or death by 53% vs.
T-DM1
AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo's Enhertu has the potential to
become a new standard of care in this early breast cancer
setting
AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo's Enhertu (trastuzumab deruxtecan) has been
recommended for approval in the European Union (EU) as a
monotherapy for the adjuvant treatment of adult patients with
resected HER2-positive breast cancer who have residual invasive
disease after neoadjuvant taxane-based and HER2-targeted
treatment.
The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the
European Medicines Agency based its positive opinion on results
from the DESTINY-Breast05 Phase
III trial presented at the 2025 European Society for Medical
Oncology Congress and subsequently published
in The
New England Journal of Medicine.1
Susan Galbraith, Executive Vice President, Oncology Haematology
R&D, AstraZeneca, said: "This positive CHMP opinion marks a
significant step towards bringing Enhertu into early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer
in the EU. Enhertu cut the risk of disease recurrence by more
than half compared to adjuvant standard of care for
patients with residual disease, and if approved could redefine
post-surgery care in the EU, keeping patients disease-free for
longer and increasing the potential for cure."
John Tsai, Global Head, R&D, Daiichi Sankyo, said: "Patients
with HER2-positive early breast cancer who have residual disease
after neoadjuvant treatment experience a substantially higher risk
of recurrence, making effective adjuvant treatment especially
important. This positive CHMP opinion underscores the potential
role of Enhertu in the curative-intent setting where it is
critical to maximise the potential for sustained long-term
outcomes."
In DESTINY-Breast05, Enhertu significantly reduced the risk of invasive
disease recurrence or death (invasive disease-free survival [IDFS])
by 53% compared to trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) in patients with
HER2-positive breast cancer with residual invasive disease
following neoadjuvant therapy (based on a hazard ratio of 0.47; 95%
confidence interval 0.34-0.66, p<0.0001). At three years, 92.4%
of patients in the Enhertu arm were alive and free of invasive disease,
compared to 83.7% of those in the T-DM1 arm.
The safety profile of Enhertu was consistent with its known profile with
no new safety concerns identified.
Enhertu is approved in the
US and other countries for the adjuvant treatment of patients with
HER2-positive breast cancer who have residual invasive disease
following neoadjuvant treatment based on DESTINY-Breast05.
Enhertu is a specifically
engineered HER2-directed DXd antibody drug conjugate (ADC)
discovered by Daiichi Sankyo and being jointly developed and
commercialised by AstraZeneca and Daiichi
Sankyo.
Notes
HER2-positive early breast cancer
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide and the
leading cause of cancer-related death among
women.2 Approximately
2.4 million breast cancer cases were diagnosed in 2024, with more
than 690,000 deaths globally.2 In
Europe, approximately 540,000 cases of breast cancer are diagnosed
annually, with more than 140,000 deaths.3
HER2 is a tyrosine kinase receptor growth-promoting protein
expressed on the surface of many types of tumours, including breast
cancer.4 HER2
protein overexpression may occur as a result of HER2 gene
amplification and is often associated with aggressive disease and
poor prognosis in breast cancer.4 Approximately
one in five cases of breast cancer is considered
HER2-positive.5
Approximately one in three patients with HER2-positive early-stage
breast cancer is considered high-risk, meaning they are more likely
to experience disease recurrence and have a poor
prognosis.6 The
current standard of care in the HER2-positive adjuvant setting
(after surgery) for patients with residual invasive disease in the
EU is TDM-1.7
Despite receiving additional treatment with current standard of
care for residual disease, some patients still experience invasive
disease or death.8 Once
patients are diagnosed with metastatic disease, the five-year
survival rate drops from nearly 100% to approximately
34%.9
Adjuvant therapy represents a key opportunity to minimise the risk
of recurrence and prevent progression to metastatic disease for
patients with residual disease.8,10,11 New
treatment options are needed in the early breast cancer setting to
improve long-term outcomes for more patients.
DESTINY-Breast05
DESTINY-Breast05 is a global, multicentre, randomised, open-label,
Phase III trial evaluating the efficacy and safety
of Enhertu (5.4mg/kg) versus T-DM1 in patients with
HER2-positive early breast cancer with residual invasive disease in
breast or axillary lymph nodes following neoadjuvant therapy and a
high risk of recurrence. High risk of recurrence was defined as
presentation with inoperable cancer (prior to neoadjuvant therapy)
or pathologically positive axillary lymph nodes following
neoadjuvant therapy.
The primary endpoint of DESTINY-Breast05 is investigator-assessed
IDFS, which is defined as the time from randomisation until first
invasive local, axillary or distant recurrence or death from any
cause. The key secondary endpoint is investigator-assessed DFS.
Other secondary endpoints include overall survival, distant
recurrence-free interval, brain metastasis-free interval and
safety.
DESTINY-Breast05 enrolled 1,635 patients in Asia, Europe, North
America, Oceania and South America. For more information about the
trial, visit ClinicalTrials.gov.
Enhertu
Enhertu is a HER2-directed
ADC. Designed using the proprietary DXd ADC Technology
of Daiichi Sankyo, Enhertu is
the lead ADC in the oncology portfolio of Daiichi Sankyo and the
most advanced programme in AstraZeneca's ADC scientific
platform. Enhertu consists of a HER2 monoclonal antibody
attached to a number of topoisomerase I inhibitor payloads (an
exatecan derivative, DXd) via tetrapeptide-based cleavable
linkers.
Enhertu (5.4mg/kg)
followed by THP is approved in the US, China, India,
Singapore, Brazil and Taiwan as a neoadjuvant treatment for
adult patients with HER2-positive (IHC 3+ or ISH+) Stage II or
Stage III breast cancer based on the results from
the DESTINY-Breast11 trial.
Continued approval in China for this indication may be contingent
upon verification and description of clinical benefit in a
confirmatory trial.
Enhertu (5.4mg/kg) is
approved in the US, Brazil, India and Canada for the adjuvant
treatment for adult patients with HER2-positive breast cancer who
have residual invasive disease following neoadjuvant
trastuzumab (with or without pertuzumab) and taxane-based
treatment based on the DESTINY-Breast05 trial.
Enhertu (5.4mg/kg) in
combination with pertuzumab is approved in more than 40
countries/regions worldwide as a 1st-line treatment for adult
patients with unresectable or metastatic HER2-positive (IHC 3+ or
ISH+) breast cancer, as determined by a locally or regionally
approved test, based on the results from
the DESTINY-Breast09 trial.
Enhertu (5.4mg/kg) is
approved in more than 100 countries/regions worldwide for the
treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic
HER2-positive (IHC 3+ or ISH+) breast cancer who have received a
prior anti-HER2-based regimen, either in the metastatic setting or
in the neoadjuvant or adjuvant setting, and have developed disease
recurrence during or within six months of completing therapy based
on the results from the DESTINY-Breast03 trial.
Enhertu (5.4mg/kg) is
approved in more than 75 countries/regions worldwide for the
treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic hormone
receptor positive, HER2-low (IHC 1+ or IHC 2+/ ISH-) or
HER2-ultralow (IHC 0 with membrane staining) breast cancer, as
determined by a locally or regionally approved test, who have
progressed on one or more endocrine therapies in the metastatic
setting based on the results from the DESTINY-Breast06 trial.
Enhertu (5.4mg/kg) is
approved in more than 100 countries/regions worldwide for the
treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic
HER2-low (IHC 1+ or IHC 2+/ISH-) breast cancer who have received a
prior systemic therapy in the metastatic setting or developed
disease recurrence during or within six months of completing
adjuvant chemotherapy based on the results from
the DESTINY-Breast04 trial.
Enhertu (5.4mg/kg) is
approved in more than 80 countries/regions worldwide for the
treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic
non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumours have
activating HER2 (ERBB2) mutations, as detected by a locally or
regionally approved test, and who have received a prior systemic
therapy based on the results from the DESTINY-Lung02 and/or DESTINY-Lung05 trials.
Continued approval in China and the US for this indication may be
contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in
a confirmatory trial.
Enhertu (6.4mg/kg) is
approved in more than 90 countries/regions worldwide for the
treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic
HER2-positive (IHC 3+ or IHC 2+/ISH+) gastric or gastroesophageal
junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma who have received a prior
trastuzumab-based regimen based on the results from
the DESTINY-Gastric01, DESTINY-Gastric02 and/or DESTINY-Gastric04 trials.
Enhertu (5.4mg/kg) is
approved in more than 45 countries/regions worldwide for the
treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic
HER2-positive (IHC 3+) solid tumours who have received prior
systemic treatment and have no satisfactory alternative treatment
options based on efficacy results from the DESTINY-PanTumor02, DESTINY-Lung01, DESTINY-CRC02 and/or HERALD trials.
Continued approval in the US for this indication may be contingent
upon verification and description of clinical benefit in a
confirmatory trial.
Enhertu clinical development
programme
A comprehensive global clinical development programme is underway
evaluating the efficacy and safety of Enhertu as a monotherapy, in combination or
sequentially with other cancer medicines across multiple
HER2-targetable cancers.
Daiichi Sankyo collaboration
AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo entered into a global
collaboration to jointly develop and
commercialise Enhertu in March
2019 and Datroway (datopotamab deruxtecan)
in July
2020, except in Japan where
Daiichi Sankyo maintains exclusive rights for each ADC.
Daiichi Sankyo is responsible for the manufacturing and
supply of Enhertu and Datroway.
AstraZeneca in breast cancer
Driven by a growing understanding of breast cancer biology,
AstraZeneca is challenging, and redefining, the current clinical
paradigm for how breast cancer is classified and treated to deliver
even more effective treatments to patients in need - with the bold
ambition to one day eliminate breast cancer as a cause of
death.
AstraZeneca has a comprehensive portfolio of approved and promising
compounds in development that leverage different mechanisms of
action to address the biologically diverse breast cancer tumour
environment.
With Enhertu, AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo are aiming to
improve outcomes in previously treated HER2-positive, HER2-low and
HER2-ultralow metastatic breast cancer, and expanding its potential
in earlier lines of treatment and in new breast cancer
settings.
In HR-positive breast cancer, AstraZeneca continues to improve
outcomes with foundational medicines Faslodex (fulvestrant) and Zoladex (goserelin) and aims to reshape the
HR-positive space with first-in-class AKT
inhibitor, Truqap (capivasertib), the TROP-2-directed
ADC, Datroway and next-generation oral
SERD, Etcamah (camizestrant).
PARP inhibitor Lynparza (olaparib)
is a targeted treatment option that has been studied in early and
metastatic breast cancer patients with an
inherited BRCA mutation. AstraZeneca with MSD (Merck &
Co., Inc. in the US and Canada) continue to
research Lynparza in
these settings. AstraZeneca is also exploring the potential of
saruparib, a potent and selective inhibitor of PARP1, in
combination with Etcamah in BRCA-mutated, HR-positive, HER2-negative advanced
breast cancer.
To bring much-needed treatment options to patients with
triple-negative breast cancer, an aggressive form of breast cancer,
AstraZeneca is collaborating with Daiichi Sankyo to evaluate the
potential of Datroway alone and in combination with
immunotherapy Imfinzi (durvalumab).
AstraZeneca in oncology
AstraZeneca is leading a revolution in oncology with the ambition
to provide cures for cancer in every form, following the science
to understand cancer and all its complexities to
discover, develop and deliver life-changing medicines to
patients.
The Company's focus is on some of the most challenging cancers. It
is through persistent innovation that AstraZeneca has built one of
the most diverse portfolios and pipelines in the industry, with the
potential to catalyse changes in the practice of medicine and
transform the patient experience.
AstraZeneca has the vision to redefine cancer care and, one day,
eliminate cancer as a cause of death.
AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca (LSE/STO/NYSE: AZN) is a global, science-led
biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery,
development, and commercialisation of prescription medicines in
Oncology, Rare Disease, and BioPharmaceuticals, including
Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism, and Respiratory &
Immunology. Based in Cambridge, UK, AstraZeneca's innovative
medicines are sold in more than 125 countries and used by millions
of patients worldwide. Please visit astrazeneca.com and
follow the Company on Social Media @AstraZeneca.
Contacts
For details on how to contact the Investor Relations Team, please
click here.
For Media contacts, click here.
References
1. Loibl S, et al. Trastuzumab
Deruxtecan in Residual HER2-Positive Early Breast
Cancer. N Engl J
Med.
2026;394:845-857.
2. World Health Organization. Global
status report on cancer 2026: the future we choose together.
Available at https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240123977.
Accessed August 2026.
3. World Health Organization. Breast
Fact Sheet. Available at https://gco.iarc.who.int/media/globocan/factsheets/cancers/20-breast-fact-sheet.pdf Accessed
May August 2026.
4. Cheng X. A Comprehensive Review of
HER2 in Cancer Biology and Therapeutics. Genes (Basel). 2024;15(7):903.
5. Tarantino P, et al. ESMO expert
consensus statements (ECS) on the definition, diagnosis, and
management of HER2-low breast cancer. Ann
Oncol.
2023;34(8):645-659.
6. Mahtani R, et al. Human
Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2-Positive (HER2+) Early Breast
Cancer Treatment and Outcomes by Risk of Recurrence: A
Retrospective US Electronic Health Records
Study. Cancers
(Basel). 2025;17(11):1848.
7. Loibl S, et al. Early breast
cancer: ESMO Clinical Practice Guideline for diagnosis, treatment
and follow-up. Ann Oncol. 2024;35(2):159-182.
8. Geyer CE, et al. Survival with
Trastuzumab Emtansine in Residual HER2-Positive Breast
Cancer. N Engl J
Med.
2025;392(3):249-257.
9. National Cancer Institute. SEER
Cancer Stat Facts: Female Breast Cancer. Available
at: https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/breast-subtypes.html.
Accessed August 2026.
10. von Minckwitz G, et
al. Trastuzumab Emtansine for Residual Invasive HER2-Positive
Breast Cancer. N Engl J
Med.
2019;380(7):617-628.
11. Zaborowski AM and Wong SM. Neoadjuvant
systemic therapy for breast cancer. BJS. 2023;110(7):765-772.
Matthew Bowden
Company Secretary
AstraZeneca PLC
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf
by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
Date: 21 September 2026
|
|
By: /s/
Matthew Bowden
|
|
|
Name:
Matthew Bowden
|
|
|
Title:
Company Secretary
|