Astra wins EU orphan drug status for cancer drug

LONDON, Dec 18 (Reuters) - AstraZeneca Plc's (AZN.L) experimental cancer drug AZD2281 has been given orphan drug status by the European Medicines Agency for treating women with ovarian cancer, Britain's second biggest drugmaker said on Tuesday.

The drug, which AstraZeneca acquired when it bought KuDOS Pharmaceuticals last year, is being developed primarily for breast cancer. But it has also shown strong evidence of tumour response in patients with hereditary ovarian cancer.

Orphan drug designation is given for drugs that treat rare life-threatening or very serious conditions affecting not more than five in 10,000 persons in Europe.

(Reporting by Ben Hirschler; Editing by Paul Bolding)

((ben.hirschler@reuters.com; +44 20 7542 5082; Reuters Messaging: ben.hirschler.reuters.com@reuters.net)) Keywords: ASTRAZENECA CANCER/

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