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
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AstraZeneca PLC
INDEX
TO EXHIBITS
1.
Klygefa recommended for EU approval by CHMP
21 September
2026
Klygefa (gefurulimab) recommended for approval in the EU by CHMP
for the treatment of adults with generalised myasthenia gravis
(gMG)
Recommendation based on PREVAIL Phase III trial demonstrating
statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in
Myasthenia Gravis Activities of Daily Living score
If approved, Klygefa will be the first and only dual-binding
nanobody C5 inhibitor for gMG in the EU,
offering once
weekly subcutaneous self-administration with rapid and sustained
symptom control
Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease's Klygefa (gefurulimab) has been recommended for
approval in the European Union (EU) as an add-on to standard
therapy for the treatment of generalised myasthenia gravis (gMG) in
adults who are anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR)
antibody-positive. If approved, Klygefa will be the first and only dual-binding
nanobody C5 inhibitor for this patient
population.
The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the
European Medicines Agency (EMA) based its positive
opinion on results from
the pivotal PREVAIL Phase III trial, which were presented at the
Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA) Scientific Session
during the American Association of Neuromuscular &
Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AANEM) 2025 Annual Meeting and
published in JAMA
Neurology.1
gMG is a rare autoimmune disorder characterised by reduced muscle
function and severe muscle weakness.2 An
estimated 82,500 people are diagnosed with gMG in Europe 5
countries (Germany, France, UK, Italy and Spain) with 66,000 being
AChR-positive.3
Tobias Ruck, MD, Director Department of Neurology, BG University
Hospital Bergmannsheil Bochum, Ruhr-University Bochum and
investigator in the trial, said: "For people living with gMG,
unpredictable symptoms can quickly become incapacitating or
life-threatening. In the PREVAIL Phase III
trial, gefurulimab demonstrated the ability to improve
measures of disease severity and daily function with the
convenience of once weekly subcutaneous self-administration, as
early as one week and through the 26-week study period. With this
positive CHMP opinion patients may soon have the option of a novel
treatment option that could help them spend less time thinking
about their care and more time living their lives."
Marc Dunoyer, Chief Executive Officer, Alexion, said: "This
positive CHMP opinion is an important step towards
bringing Klygefa, an innovative dual-binding nanobody C5
inhibitor, to people living with gMG in the EU. Building
on our pioneering work demonstrating the efficacy of C5
inhibition with Soliris and Ultomiris, Klygefa is designed to offer rapid and
sustained symptom control with convenient once-weekly
subcutaneous self-administration via
autoinjector."
Results from the PREVAIL trial showed that Klygefa met its primary endpoint, demonstrating
improvement from baseline in Myasthenia Gravis Activities of Daily
Living (MG-ADL) total score at week 26 compared to placebo
(treatment difference: -1.6 [95% CI: -2.4, -0.8], p<0.0001). A
clinically meaningful improvement was observed as early as week
one, and was sustained through week 26.1
Klygefa was generally
well-tolerated, and the safety profile was consistent with previous
trials of C5 inhibitors eculizumab and ravulizumab in
gMG.1
Klygefa is approved in
Japan and other countries for certain adults with gMG. Regulatory
submissions based on the PREVAIL results are under review in the
US, China and additional countries.
Notes
Generalised Myasthenia Gravis (gMG)
Generalised myasthenia gravis (gMG) is a rare autoimmune disorder
characterised by reduced muscle function and severe muscle
weakness.2
Eighty-five percent of people with gMG are AChR antibody-positive
meaning they produce specific antibodies (anti-AChR) that bind to
signal receptors at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ), the
connection point between nerve cells and the muscles they
control.4 This
binding activates the complement system, causing the immune system
to attack the NMJ, leading to inflammation and a breakdown in
communication between the brain and the muscles.5
gMG can occur at any age, but it most commonly begins for women
before the age of 40 and for men after the age of
60.6 Initial
symptoms may include slurred speech, double vision, droopy eyelids
and lack of balance; these can often lead to more severe symptoms
as the disease progresses, such as impaired swallowing, choking,
extreme fatigue and respiratory failure.7,8
PREVAIL (ALXN1720-MG-301)
PREVAIL (ALXN1720-MG-301) is a global, Phase III, randomised,
double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel, multicentre study
evaluating the safety and efficacy of Klygefa in adults with generalised myasthenia gravis
(gMG). The trial enrolled 260 patients from 20 countries across
North America, Europe, Asia and the Pacific region. Participants
were required to have a confirmed myasthenia gravis diagnosis at
least three months prior to the screening visit with a positive
serological test for autoantibodies against AChR and Myasthenia
Gravis Foundation of America Clinical Classification Class II to IV
at screening.9
Patients were randomised 1:1 to receive Klygefa or placebo for a total of 26 weeks in the
randomised controlled treatment period. Patients received a single
weight-based loading dose on Day 1, followed by regular
weight-based maintenance dosing beginning on Day 8 and once every
week thereafter. The primary endpoint of the change from baseline
in the Myasthenia Gravis Activities of Daily Living (MG-ADL) total
score, a patient-reported scale that assesses patients' abilities
to perform daily activities, was assessed at week 26 along with
multiple secondary endpoints evaluating improvement in
disease-related measures.9
Patients who completed the randomised controlled treatment period
were eligible to continue into an open-label extension period
evaluating the safety and efficacy of Klygefa, which is ongoing.9
Klygefa (gefurulimab)
Klygefa (gefurulimab), a
complement C5 inhibitor, is a novel dual-binding nanobody optimised
for subcutaneous self-administration in development as a treatment
for AChR-Ab+ gMG. The medication works by binding to the C5 protein
in the terminal complement cascade, a part of the body's immune
system. When activated in an uncontrolled manner, the complement
cascade over-responds, leading the body to attack its own healthy
cells. Klygefa's concurrent binding to serum albumin
provides an extended half-life, enabling once-weekly
dosing.
Klygefa is approved in
Japan and other countries for certain adults with gMG. Regulatory
submissions based on the PREVAIL results are under review in the
US, China and additional countries.
Alexion
Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease, is focused on serving patients
and families affected by rare diseases and devastating conditions
through the discovery, development and delivery of life-changing
medicines. A pioneering leader in rare disease for more than three
decades, Alexion was the first to translate the complex biology of
the complement system into transformative medicines, and today it
continues to build a diversified pipeline across disease areas with
significant unmet need, using an array of innovative modalities. As
part of AstraZeneca, Alexion is continually expanding its global
geographic footprint to serve more rare disease patients around the
world. It is headquartered in Boston, US.
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. Gwathmey KG, Saccà F, Howard
JF Jr, et al. Efficacy and safety of gefurulimab in generalized
myasthenia gravis: the PREVAIL phase 3 randomized clinical
trial. JAMA
Neurol. 2026 Jul
27.
2. Jung-Plath W, et al.
Assessment of myasthenia gravis patients' quality of
life. The Journal of Neurosurgical
Nursing.
2023;12(2):74-83.
3. AstraZeneca
Data on File - Epidemiology estimates are composed of a
triangulation of different data sources including Data Monitor,
Decision Resources Group, Kantar Health, and internal input.
Available here.
Accessed September 2026.
4. Lazaridis K, et al. Myasthenia
gravis: autoantibody specificities and their role in MG
management. Front
Neurol. 2020;11:596981.
5.
Huang YF, et al. Visualization and characterization of complement
activation in acetylcholine receptor antibody seropositive
myasthenia gravis. Muscle Nerve. 2024.
6. Cavanagh N, et al. Exploring the
impairments and allied health professional utilization in people
with myasthenia gravis: a cross-sectional
study. J Clin
Neurosci. 2023;114:9-16.
7. Catalin J, et al. Clinical
presentation of myasthenia gravis. Thymus. 2019.
8. Farid ZR, et al. Factors affecting
generalization of ocular myasthenia
gravis. Sriwijaya Journal of
Ophthalmology. 2020;3(2):48-54.
9. ClinicalTrials.gov. Safety and
efficacy of ALXN1720 in adults with generalized myasthenia gravis.
NCT Identifier: NCT05556096. Available here.
Accessed September 2026.
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
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By: /s/
Matthew Bowden
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Name:
Matthew Bowden
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Title:
Company Secretary
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