AstraZeneca shares third place on the 2025 Innovation Index with Roche, while reclaiming the top spot on the 2025 Invention Index, a position it last held in 2023.

A core driver behind AstraZeneca’s success is its oncology portfolio, particularly the performance of Imfinzi (durvalumab) across multiple cancers. In the HIMALAYA Phase III trial, Imfinzi demonstrated unprecedented survival benefits in advanced liver cancer, with 19.6% of patients alive at five years compared with 9.4% with Bayer’s Nexavar (sorafenib). The drug also demonstrated significant improvements in muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Tagrisso (osimertinib) has been another high performer, reducing the risk of death or progression by 84% in Stage 3 EGFR-mutated NSCLC following chemoradiotherapy (CRT). This benefit was observed in tumors with exon 19 deletions or exon 21 (L858R) mutations, with a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 39.1 months for patients receiving osimertinib, compared with 5.6 months for those on placebo. Meanwhile, the antibody-drug conjugate Enhertu (trastuzumab deruxtecan), being jointly developed and commercialized with Daiichi Sankyo, showed significant improvement in PFS in HER2-low metastatic breast cancer. Enhertu has also been approved in China for HER2-positive gastric cancer and metastatic breast cancer.

AstraZeneca’s success extends to rare diseases, with the approval of Fasenra (benralizumab) for eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) and Voydeya (danicopan) for paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) in both the US and EU.

In immuno-oncology, Calquence (acalabrutinib) showed superior PFS in chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and Truqap (capivasertib) demonstrated significant improvements in PTEN-deficient prostate cancer. In the WAYPOINT Phase 3 trial, the monoclonal antibody Tezspire (tezepelumab) met its co-primary endpoints in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP), while the dual-action Airsupra (albuterol/ budesonide) significantly reduced severe exacerbations in mild asthma in the BATURA Phase 3 trial.

Despite setbacks in the TROPION-Breast01 and TROPION-Lung01 Phase 3 trials of Datroway (datopotamab deruxtecan), which failed to meet overall survival endpoints, AstraZeneca’s pipeline remains robust. The company has also strengthened its portfolio through strategic acquisitions, such as Amolyt Pharma and Gracell Biotechnologies, bolstering its rare disease and oncology offerings.

AstraZeneca’s continued investment in precision medicine, first-in-class therapies, and best-in-class treatments reinforces its position as a pharmaceutical leader in 2025.