Lung cancer patients live longer with Alimta: study

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lung cancer patients who took Eli Lilly and Co's Alimta after finishing their normal course of chemotherapy lived 40 percent longer without any tumor progression than patients who took a placebo, researchers reported on Thursday.

Preliminary results released ahead of the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology showed Alimta extended progression-free survival by two months in patients given the drug as maintenance therapy.

Analysts say the results could greatly broaden the market for the already successful drug, with one group predicting an extra $1 billion from new uses for the drug.

"We believe the market opportunity for Alimta is substantial, offering potential upside versus our 2012 forecast of $1.7 billion," said Leerink Swann analyst Seamus Fernandez.

(Reporting by Maggie Fox)