A new drug combination has shown promising results in the treatment of small-cell lung cancer, potentially offering patients improved survival outcomes.
According to a Reuters report, AstraZeneca’s cancer drug Imfinzi, whose generic name is durvalumab, is an immunotherapy treatment that works differently from conventional chemotherapy. Rather than directly killing cancer cells, it helps the immune system recognise and fight the disease.
The company said combining Imfinzi with Imdelltra (tarlatamab), a targeted immunotherapy developed by US-based Amgen, resulted in significant improvements in patients’ outcomes.
The findings came from the late-stage DeLLphi-305 clinical trial, which involved patients with small-cell lung cancer whose disease had not progressed following initial standard treatment. The patients had received an initial treatment regimen of Imfinzi along with platinum-based chemotherapy and etoposide.
According to the trial results, continuing treatment with Imfinzi and tarlatamab after the initial therapy led to a significant improvement in patients’ outcomes.
Susan Galbraith, AstraZeneca’s Executive Vice President for Oncology and Haematology Research and Development, said the findings showed that the combination of Imfinzi and tarlatamab following Imfinzi-based initial treatment could deliver a meaningful improvement in overall survival for patients with this highly aggressive form of lung cancer.
She said the results further highlighted the important role of Imfinzi in the treatment of small-cell lung cancer.
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