AstraZeneca Takes a Long Shot on Lung Cancer Drug Study

  • After setback, AstraZeneca says Mystic trial can still succeed
  • Shift in FDA approach shows how daunting the challenge is
Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg
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AstraZeneca Plc has a track record of bringing drugs back from the dead. But in the case of the latest setback on a key cancer study, the odds are stacked against the company.

The drugmaker is adamant it has a shot at success after its next-generation treatment failed to slow lung cancer growth more than chemotherapy, a blow that could have killed the trial known as Mystic.