AstraZeneca pulls cancer drug application in Europe

A sign is seen at an AstraZeneca site in Macclesfield, central England May 19, 2014. REUTERS/Phil Noble

LONDON (Reuters) - AstraZeneca has pulled an application seeking European approval to sell its experimental cancer drug cediranib in combination with chemotherapy to treat ovarian cancer because of late-stage questions raised by regulators reviewing the product. However, the British company said on Wednesday that cediranib, a so-called VEGFR inhibitor, remained an important pipeline medicine and the decision did not affect its ongoing development in combination tests alongside other drugs. (Reporting by Ben Hirschler; editing by Jason Neely)