Yahoo Finance AstraZeneca (AZN) Enhertu Betters Outcomes in Multi-Tumor Study
AstraZeneca AZN and partner Daiichi Sankyo announced data from an analysis of the ongoing DESTINY-PanTumor02 phase II study on their cancer drug, Enhertu. In the study, Enhertu showed clinically meaningful and durable responses across multiple HER2-expressing advanced solid tumors in heavily-pretreated patients.
In the study, Enhertu met the prespecified criteria for objective response rate (ORR) and duration of response (DoR). While ORR was the study’s primary efficacy endpoint, DoR was one of the secondary endpoints.
Enhertu is already approved for advanced or metastatic HER2-positive gastric cancer, previously treated HER2-mutant metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, metastatic HER2-positive breast cancers and unresectable or metastatic HER2-low breast cancer. The latest initial data demonstrating Enhertu’s potential across multiple HER2-expressing tumor types are encouraging.
AstraZeneca stock has risen 14.6% in the past year compared with an increase of 8.2% for the industry.
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The DESTINY-PanTumor02 evaluated Enhertu for several HER2-expressing tumors, including biliary tract cancer, bladder cancer, cervical cancer, endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer and rare tumors.
AstraZeneca is co-developing Enhertu with Japan’s Daiichi Sankyo. The companies also develop datopotamab deruxtecan, an investigational candidate, worldwide except in Japan where Daiichi Sankyo holds exclusive rights.
Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider
AstraZeneca currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Some better-ranked large drugmakers are Novo Nordisk NVO, Novartis NVS and Sanofi SNY. Novartis and Sanofi both carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), while Novo Nordisk has a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) at present.
Estimates for Novo Nordisk’s 2023 earnings per share have increased from $4.03 to $4.43. Estimates for 2024 have jumped from $4.61 per share to $5.19 in the past 60 days. Novo Nordisk’s stock has surged 43.5% in the past year.
Novo Nordisk beat earnings expectations in three of the trailing four quarters. The company delivered a four-quarter earnings surprise of 3.00%, on average.
Estimates for Sanofi’s 2023 earnings per share have increased from $4.31 per share to $4.40, while those for 2024 have jumped from $4.67 per share to $4.89 in the past 60 days. Sanofi’s stock has lost 1.8% in the past year.
Sanofi beat earnings expectations in three of the four trailing four quarters. The company delivered a four-quarter earnings surprise of 7.68%, on average.
In the past 60 days, estimates for Novartis’ 2023 earnings per share have risen from $6.41 to $6.50. During the same period, the earnings estimates per share for 2024 have risen from $6.92 to $6.99. Shares of Novartis have risen 1.7% in the past year.
Earnings of Novartis beat estimates in each of the last four quarters, delivering an earnings surprise of 2.92%, on average.
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