AstraZeneca has dropped a clinical trial of its lung cancer medicine Recentin after a mid-stage trial failed to fulfil its objectives.

The Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical giant said that phase III trials of the drug in colorectal cancer would proceed as planned.

The mixed news comes as AstraZeneca is facing a series of challenges, including the threat of generic competition to two of its bestselling drugs, Nexium, a stomach acid treatment, and Seroquel, a schizophrenia drug.

The company has also suffered a series of high-profile drug failures in recent years.

Astra said that Recentin had demonstrated some effectiveness in beating non-small-cell lung cancer, the most common form of the disease, but a phase II/III trial would not progress into phase III because of concerns about toxicity.

John Patterson, the executive director for development, said that AstraZenenca remained committed to examining the drug’s potential in lung cancer regardless.

Analysts said that in commercial terms the prospects for Recentin in beating colorectal cancer were less attractive than for lung cancer.

If the drug is launched, it will compete directly with rival blockbusters such as Roche’s Avastin and Merck’s Erbitux.

The announcement on Recentin followed the publication of the results of a study of the drug overseen by the National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group.

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