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The US Food and Drug Administration has approved AstraZeneca, blockbuster drug Imfinzi to treat some adults with limited-stage small cell lung cancer, the health regulator said on Wednesday.
The treatment, chemically known as durvalumab, was approved for patients for whom the disease had not worsened after receiving chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
Imfinzi is a human monoclonal antibody that blocks a tumour's ability to evade and dampen the immune system, while also boosting the body's anti-cancer immune response, offering an alternative to toxic chemotherapy.
In a late-stage trial, the drug showed statistically significant improvement in overall survival compared to a placebo.
Small cell lung cancer is a highly aggressive form of lung cancer that typically recurs and progresses rapidly despite initial response to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, with just 15% to 30% of patients alive five years after diagnosis.
Imfinzi is approved to treat several types of cancers, including extensive-stage small cell lung cancer, bile duct cancer and non-small cell lung cancer.
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