London, July 4 (V7N) – Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca (AZN.L) is reportedly in advanced negotiations with U.S.-based Summit Therapeutics (SMMT.O) to license an experimental drug for the treatment of lung cancer, according to a Bloomberg News report published on Thursday. The potential licensing agreement could be valued at up to $15 billion, based on milestone payments and future sales.
 
The talks, while not yet finalized, indicate AstraZeneca's ongoing strategy to expand its oncology pipeline and strengthen its position in the lucrative cancer drug market. The unnamed sources cited by Bloomberg stated that the companies are discussing both upfront and milestone-based payments, though the specific financial terms remain confidential.
 
The drug in question, currently in early-stage development, is being explored as a promising treatment option for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), one of the most common and deadly forms of cancer globally. Lung cancer is estimated to account for nearly 1.8 million deaths worldwide each year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
 
If the agreement materializes, it would mark one of the largest licensing deals in recent pharmaceutical history and further signal the industry's pivot toward targeted cancer therapies and innovative drug development partnerships.
 
Both AstraZeneca and Summit Therapeutics declined to comment publicly on the ongoing discussions. Industry analysts suggest such a deal could accelerate Summit’s growth trajectory and provide AstraZeneca access to a new therapeutic class with high commercial potential.
 
AstraZeneca has previously seen significant success in oncology with drugs such as Tagrisso and Imfinzi, which have become key revenue drivers for the British-Swedish multinational.
 
The Bloomberg report did not specify a timeline for finalizing the deal. 
 
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