LONDON: A combination of AstraZeneca’s immunotherapy drug Imfinzi and Amgen’s targeted immunotherapy Imdelltra has shown promising results in a late-stage clinical trial involving patients with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), according to trial findings reported by the companies.
Imfinzi, whose generic name is durvalumab, works by helping the immune system recognize and fight cancer cells rather than attacking the cancer directly in the way conventional chemotherapy does. Imdelltra, or tarlatamab, is a targeted immunotherapy being studied for SCLC.
The results came from the DeLLphi-305 Phase III clinical trial, which evaluated the combination as a maintenance treatment following initial therapy. The trial involved patients whose disease had not progressed after first-line treatment that included Imfinzi with platinum-based chemotherapy and etoposide.
Combination Therapy Improves Survival Outcomes
According to the reported findings, continuing treatment with Imfinzi and tarlatamab after the initial therapy produced a significant improvement in overall survival compared with the study’s control treatment.
AstraZeneca Executive Vice President of Oncology and Hematology Research and Development Susan Galbraith said the findings suggest that the combination could provide a meaningful survival benefit for people with this aggressive form of lung cancer.
The results further support the role of Imfinzi-based treatment in the management of small-cell lung cancer, although regulatory decisions and additional clinical evidence will determine how widely the combination may be used.
Small-Cell Lung Cancer Remains Difficult to Treat
Lung cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide, accounting for a significant share of global cancer mortality.
Small-cell lung cancer is particularly aggressive and can spread rapidly. Despite advances in immunotherapy and other treatments, long-term survival remains limited. Reported five-year survival is about 18.1% for limited-stage SCLC and around 3.6% for extensive-stage disease.
The latest trial findings add to ongoing research into treatments that can extend survival for patients with advanced small-cell lung cancer.