Express first-line treatment of liver cancer, dual immune combination therapy reduces risk of death by 22%

▎WuXi AppTec content team editor Today, AstraZeneca announced that the blockbuster PD-L1 inhibitor durvalumab (durvalumab, English brand name: Imfinzi) combined with the anti-CTLA-4 antibody tremelimumab, Significantly prolongs overall survival in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma in a phase 3 clinical trial compared to active controls
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Liver cancer is the sixth most common cancer in the world, with approximately 900,000 patients diagnosed each year
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It is also the third leading cause of cancer death, with only about 7% of advanced patients surviving more than 5 years
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Imfinzi is an anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody that relieves tumor cells from suppressing immune responses by blocking the binding of PD-L1 to PD-1 and CD80 proteins
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It has been approved in several countries and regions for the treatment of extensive-stage small cell lung cancer
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It is also FDA-approved for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer and advanced bladder cancer
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Tremelimumab blocks the activity of CTLA-4, which promotes T cell activation and stimulates the immune system's immune response to cancer
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It was used in combination with Imfinzi and chemotherapy to significantly improve patients' overall survival in a Phase 3 clinical trial in first-line treatment of stage IV non-small cell lung cancer
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In the phase 3 clinical trial, called HIMALAYA, patients first received a combination of tremelimumab and Imfinzi once, and then received Imfinzi as a monotherapy every 4 weeks
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This dosing regimen is designed to stimulate T cell activation while reducing the toxic side effects of CTLA-4 antibodies
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The trial results showed that patients treated with this dosing regimen had a 22% lower risk of death compared with the active control group (HR=0.
78, 96.
02% CI 0.
65-0.
93, p=0.
0035)
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The median overall survival was 16.
4 months and 13.
8 months in the active control group
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About 31 percent of patients were still alive three years after treatment, compared with 20 percent in the control group
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The objective response rate for the combination of tremelimumab and Imfinzi was 20.
1%, compared with 5.
1% in the control group
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See the table below for detailed data: Image source: Reference[1] Dr Susan Galbraith, Executive Vice President, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, said: "The HIMALAYA trial confirms our strategy of using tremelimumab to exploit the potential to inhibit CTLA-4 and utilize A unique dosing regimen to stimulate the immune system, help patients live longer, and reduce side effects
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We look forward to bringing potential new treatment options to patients with unresectable liver cancer as soon as possible, an area of ​​high unmet need
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"Reference: [1] Imfinzi plus tremelimumab demonstrated unprecedented survival in 1st-line unresectable liver cancer with 31% of patients alive at three years.
Retrieved January 18, 2022, from https:// /media-centre/press-releases/2022/imfinzi-plus-tremelimumab-unprecedented-survival-1st-line-unresectable-liver-cancer.
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